Citation

Dressler J, Schmidt U, Hanisch U, Demmler G, Riehn A, Pollak S. Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 2011; 32(2): 119-123.

Affiliation

From the Departments of *Legal Medicine, and †Gynecology and Obstetrics,Technical University, Dresden, Germany; and ‡Institute of Legal Medicine, Albert Ludwig University, Feiburg, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/PAF.0b013e318187dff9

PMID

21297437

Abstract

The macroscopic and microscopic findings in neonatal freshwater drowning are demonstrated on the basis of 3 exemplary cases of birth in the bathroom after concealed pregnancy. If the newborn is expelled under water and remains there until death, the lungs cannot be ventilated with air. In case of incomplete or only temporary submersion, aeration of the lungs may develop in the immediate postpartum period. The morphologic criteria of separate existence are critically discussed with respect to the presented findings.

Language: en