Birth certificate
vital record that documents the birth of a child
A birth certificate is a vital record that documents the birth of a child. The certificate itself usually includes some or all of the following information:
- Birth name
- Date and time of birth
- Sex of the child
- Place and/or location of birth
- Names of the parents of the child
- Occupations of parents of the child
- Birth weight and length
- Name of informant registering the birth
- Date of registration of birth
- A birth registration number or file number
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Marilyn_Monroe_Birth_Certificate_original.jpg/578px-Marilyn_Monroe_Birth_Certificate_original.jpg)
Most countries have statutes and laws that regulate the registration of births. In the United States, it is the responsibility of the mother's physician, midwife, or a hospital administrator to prepare the official birth certificate.
The birth certificate itself is not proof of a person's identity, but only a record stating that a birth occurred at the time, date, and place stated on the certificate. To prove one's identity, a person may need a photo ID, generally issued to an adult.
Related pages
changeOther websites
changeWikimedia Commons has media related to Birth certificates.