Questions of forensic science and radiology on live births and stillbirths: cases from expert practice

Abstract

Background: The article discusses the criteria, forensic and radiological life tests, difficulties in assessing the results of live births and stillbirths. It also dives into the history of the development of X-ray, including pre-sectional examination of newborn corpses. Two cases of newborn corpses that were subjected to pre-sectional computed tomography (CT) are presented. Case presentation: Case no. 1: Examination of a newborn corpse found in a cardboard box on the unheated terrace of a private house after a secret self-birth. Case no. 2: Examination of the corpse of an infant with massive injuries and the division of the body into two fragments, found on a sorting tape in the premises of a waste sorting shop. Conclusion: Postmortem CT of newborn corpses was an evidence-based and visual addition to the traditional forensic medical study. This helped determine the maturity of fetuses even at the pre-dissection stage to identify injuries and anatomical variants of the structure, to refute the presence of congenital deformities, and to establish and record evidence-based CT signs of live birth and stillbirth.

Keywords

• newborns
• forensic medicine
• radiology
• postmortem computed tomography