Germany offers maternity leave for women after miscarriage

Germany's Bundestag, or lower house of parliament, unanimously passed a law late on Thursday that extends maternity leave protections to women who suffer a miscarriage after the 13th week of pregnancy, reported dpa.

The new regulation is designed to support women during a time of physical and emotional recovery, explained Sarah Lahrkamp, a member of parliament from the Social Democrats (SPD).

Under Germany's existing laws, women typically receive paid maternity leave starting six weeks before childbirth and continuing for eight weeks afterward. This provision, however, did not previously apply in the event of a miscarriage.

With the new staggered regulation, women who suffer a miscarriage from the 13th week of pregnancy onwards will now have the option to take maternity leave. However, women are not obligated to take it if they prefer not to.

Estimates suggest that around 6,000 miscarriages occur in Germany each year between the 13th and 24th weeks of pregnancy. However, the majority - around 84,000 - occur before the 12th week, which is not be covered by the new maternity leave law.