“I saw him move”: the moving fight of a 99-year-old woman to have her baby who died 75 years ago recognized

Décédé 4 heures après sa naissance en 1949, l'enfant n'a “jamais officiellement existé”. MAXPPP – Valerie Vrel

Odette, 99 ans, se bat pour faire inscrire sur le livret de famille le nom de son bébé décédé à sa naissance en 1949.

Her name is Odette Pichard and she gave birth on May 12, 1949, says RTL.  That day, the doctors did not allow her to see her son, who died 4 hours after his birth. However, she "saw him move, he shouted", she says. But her child was never registered in the family record book since she was never declared to the civil registry.

"A fight for the dignity of all parents"

Today, Odette is 99 years old and wishes to finally have her son "Pierre-Alain", who died 75 years ago, recognized.

His granddaughter, a lawyer specializing in law, filed a legal request to have the child's first name entered in the family record book. She explains: "Two medical documents attest that he lived four hours", assures the lawyer. But given that the young boy's birth was declared after his death, the case is more complicated to defend.

However, at the dawn of her 100th birthday, Odette does not lose hope: "It's also a fight for the dignity of all parents who have one day lost a newborn", she declares to RTL.

What French legislation says

There are two possible cases according to French law. The first is the deceased child born alive and viable: if the baby died before the declaration of birth then the civil status establishes a death certificate and a birth certificate. If his parents want to register him in the family record book then they must present a medical certificate attesting that the child was born alive and viable.

The case of the child born lifeless: here the child is considered stillborn, or alive but not viable and deceased before the birth is declared. Here too, a medical certificate of delivery is required so that the child can be registered in the family record book.