Berlin. According to the will of the federal states, women should in future have a voluntary right to maternity protection even in the event of a miscarriage. The Federal Council called for this on Friday on the initiative of Hamburg, Lower Saxony and Saarland. This demand takes into account the individual circumstances and needs of those affected. Maternity protection in the event of a miscarriage should begin well before the 20th week of pregnancy and be gradually extended depending on the duration of the pregnancy to date.
The State Chamber criticizes the fact that miscarriages and stillbirths have been treated unequally so far. According to the current legal situation, a stillbirth is considered if the child weighs at least 500 grams or if it has reached the 24th week of pregnancy. In these cases, the mother is entitled to 18 weeks of maternity leave and maternity allowance. However, at an earlier date and with a lower weight, it is considered a miscarriage. Therefore, there is currently no entitlement to maternity leave.
In addition to equal treatment, psychological aspects also speak in favor of a reform of maternity protection, since a miscarriage is often a traumatic experience, the countries argue. Those affected could also recover and thus avoid possible health complications. The corresponding resolution of the Federal Council has been forwarded to the Federal Government. There is no deadline for when they will have to deal with it. (KNA)