Inquests can currently only be held for children who showed signs of life after being born.
The proposals would allow coroners to investigate the deaths of babies, after 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Christian Labour MP Sharon Hodgson’s third child was born stillborn.
She told Premier the current law doesn’t make sense.
“If there’s a sign of life after they’ve been born and the baby still dies, they get an inquest but they can be showing signs of life during the birth right up to being born and just don’t make it over the line,” she said during Premier’s News Hour.
“Then there’s no inquest that takes place.”
Nine babies are stillborn every day in the UK.
Health minister Jackie Doyle-Price said holding independent inquests would help bereaved parents get answers over what went wrong following the death of their child.
The new powers would allow coroners to investigate and make recommendations to help prevent future avoidable deaths.
Doyle-Price said: “We want to do everything we can to make pregnancy safer, by continually learning to improve the care on offer so fewer people have to experience the terrible tragedy of losing a child and those who do get the answers and support they deserve.
“Rates of stillbirths in England are the lowest on record, but we’re committed to delivering on our ambition in the NHS Long-Term Plan to…
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