The use of pulmonary interstitial emphysema as an indicator of live birth.
Making the determination of live birth versus stillbirth in a discarded newborn infant based on gross and microscopic autopsy findings can be a challenging task for the forensic pathologist. The traditional criteria for live birth determination are frequently challenged in court, and indisputable evidence of live birth remains elusive. The histologic finding of pulmonary interstitial emphysema has not been considered as a useful determinant of live birth. The authors report two cases of discarded newborn infants in which the finding of pulmonary interstitial emphysema was used as an indicator of live birth.
Lavezzi
Wendy A
WA
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Albany Medical Center, Mail Code 81, 47 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, NY 12208, USA. lavezzw@mail.amc.edu
Keough
Kristina M
KM
Der'Ohannesian
Paul
P
Person
Tiffany L A
TL
Wolf
Barbara C
BC
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000473:pathology*