Abstract

OLAYA CONTRERAS, Mercedes  and  FRANCO ZULUAGA, Jorge Andrés. Docimasia hepática y ausencia de cuidados mínimos: serie de casos. Med. leg. Costa Rica [online]. 2013, vol.30, n.1, pp.135-140. ISSN 2215-5287.

In the case of infant death, a coroner routinely performs lung submersion in water to establish if a child had been liveborn or stillborn. However, this test fails to provide absolute proof because the lungs may have been affected by diverse conditions. Furthermore, it does not allow for liveborn criteria defined by WHO such as heartbeat, spontaneous movements, or umbilical cord pulse. Therefore, additional tests are needed. We present three cases of abandoned newborn with a histological finding of clear hepatocytes. This finding in fetal livers can help establish vitality at the time of birth.

Keywords : Neonatal autopsy; liveborn; stillborn; infanticide; liver; acts of omisión..

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