[Medical abortion and fetuses born lifeless registration]

The late miscarriages, the in utero deaths, the medical abortion are so many situations which lead to the tragic delivery of a lifeless born fetus. Since the 2nd half of the 20th century, the contraception, the ultrasound, the medically assisted procreation, the notions of desired pregnancies or invaluable pregnancies modified our glance to the fetus. The prenatal diagnosis allowed anticipating dramatic situations which previously arose at birth or afterwards. The professionals of the perinatal medicine wonder about the care of this particular mourning. Every stage of this difficult process for the parents since the announcement of an anomaly to the fetus, the prognosis evaluation, the decision-making then its realization is decoded. This necessarily multidisciplinary practice brought closer the professionals of the birth. It is a question of respecting the parents who wish recognition of the dead fetus to ritualize this loss as much as those for whom the symbolism is not the same and for whom in case of obligation of recognition the emotional consequences could be disastrous. The answer to be given to these requests requires remaining vigilant in order not to modify the legal status of the embryo or the fetus and not to call into question the legitimacy of the termination of pregnancy.