A working group appointed by Alma Möller, Iceland’s Minister of Health, published its report today. It sets out how health authorities should handle births that take place without the involvement of medical professionals and examines challenges around registration, parent identification and access to critical health services. News of the report was first covered by Vísir.
The report noted that there has been an increase in cases where parents request health-care staff to certify births that they did not attend. In the period from 2022 to 2025, Icelandic authorities documented at least 23 instances where women gave birth without health-care professionals present. Icelandic law on birth registration does not currently account for children born in such circumstances, complicating the official certification process.
The working group found that the lack of clear procedures for these births can make it difficult to register the child and confirm the identity of the person who gave birth. The group also warned that both mothers and newborns might miss essential medical services, including examinations and neonatal screenings, if health-care professionals are not present at the birth.
To address these challenges, the working group called for a uniform national procedure for certifying births without health-care professionals. Recommendations include requiring mothers to present valid identification in person at least once during pregnancy or at birth, guaranteeing all children born outside health-care settings access to appropriate medical and infant welfare services, and improving information given to parents about the importance of seeking health services within 48 hours of delivery.
The group also proposed reviewing the authorities’ powers and existing arrangements for sending automatic notifications to child protection services if there is uncertainty regarding a newborn’s registration or custody.
Sources
- Stjórnarráð Íslands (Government of Iceland) in Icelandic
- Vísir (first reported) in Icelandic
