The star register complements the ‘star meadow’ at the Leuven City Cemetery, where all stillborn babies can be laid to rest. Previously, parents who lost their baby before 140 days of pregnancy were not allowed to report the death legally, and the baby was not officially given a name. The star register offers parents the opportunity to symbolically register their baby, regardless of the length of the pregnancy.
The opening of the star register is a significant step in formally acknowledging the existence of stillborn children and the grief and loss experienced by their parents. Bieke Verlinden, the Alderman for care and cemeteries, explained that the lack of recognition intensifies the grief for parents who have to say goodbye to their baby too early. The symbolic registration in the star register offers crucial support to parents experiencing such a loss.
The first registration in the star register was made by Annemie and Chris, who lost their sons Jonas and Mattias in 1991 after 24 weeks of pregnancy. They shared their gratitude that after over 30 years of grieving, their star children are finally getting the recognition they deserve, no longer being considered "non-existent" by society. The star register allows their children's names to be written down in black and white, making them visible to society and connected to the city of Leuven, where they were laid to rest.
Leuven has taken various steps to support the grieving process of star parents, such as creating a star meadow at the City Cemetery and organizing events to commemorate stillborn children. The opening of the star register marks a meaningful step towards acknowledging and supporting the loss of parents who have had to let go of their child too early. The city hopes that the register will provide a small but warm support to parents in their mourning process and that it will confirm to both parents and the outside world that their baby existed.
Various organizations, including the Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities, Boven de Wolken vzw, Berrefonds vzw, and Met Lege Handen vzw, support the initiative.
Registering a star child is free and can be done both at the Stadskantoor and digitally. For more information about the star register in Leuven: leuven.be/sterrenkindje-registreren
Dutch vocabulary
Sterrenkind = Literally a “star child” used to refer to stillborn babies
Sterrenouder = Literally a “star parent” for a parent of a stillborn child