(de-news.net) – As of today, pregnant individuals who experience a miscarriage from the 13th week of gestation onward are legally entitled to maternity leave, following the enactment of a legislative amendment. This marks the first instance in which affected individuals are afforded a statutorily guaranteed convalescence period to mitigate the physical and psychological effects of pregnancy loss.

In the final stages preceding the federal election, the red-green minority government sanctioned a proposal introduced by the CDU/CSU. Current estimates suggest that approximately 6,000 miscarriages occur annually in Germany between the 13th and 24th weeks of pregnancy. By contrast, the majority—approximately 84,000 cases—take place within the first 12 weeks of gestation. Such cases remain excluded from eligibility for maternity leave.