§ 4160. Fetal deaths; registration. 1. Fetal death is defined as death prior to the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception; the death is indicated by the fact that after such separation, the fetus does not breathe or show any other evidence of life such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles.

2. A fetal death shall be registered within seventy-two hours after expulsion of such fetus, by filing directly with the commissioner a certificate of such death. In addition, a report of fetal death shall be reported to the registrar in the district in which the fetal death occurred.

3. For the purposes of this article, a fetal death shall be considered as a birth and as a death except that, for a fetal death, separate birth and death certificates shall not be required to be prepared and recorded, except as provided in section forty-one hundred sixty-a of this title.

4. Local registrars of each district in which fetal death certificates were filed prior to the effective date of this subdivision shall dispose of such certificates in the manner prescribed by the commissioner.

5. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the disclosure of information filed pursuant to this section shall be limited to the mother, her lawful representative and to authorized personnel of the department.