Infanticide

Question 1

What is infanticide?

Answer 1

Killing of an infant (< 1 year )

By its biological mother

Where the mothers mind is in imbalance

Due to effects of pregnancy, child birth or lactation

Culpable homicide not amounting to murder

Question 2

What are the risk factors for infanticide?

Answer 2

Second or subsequent child

Maternal age < 15

Maternal education at time of birth

Question 3

What does prosecution have to prove to convict for infanticide?

Answer 3

Live birth (separation not necessary)

Age <12 months

Mother mentally abnormal

Death is unnatural

Death is not accidental

Act of commission

Act of omission

Question 4

How do you investigate an infanticide?

Answer 4

Detailed autopsy to

1. Determine viability (20 weeks)
2. Determine whether live birth / stillbirth or dead born
3. Time of survival of live birth
4. Cause of death
5. Circumstances of death

Question 5

How do you determine viability?

Answer 5

Using Haase’s formula (CHL)

CHL < 25 , square root of CHL = age in months

CHL > 25 , CHL divides by 5 = age in months

Using developmental features

Ossification centers are most reliable
Calcaneum is first to ossify at 20 weeks
Then manubrium and sternum 1st piece
Lower end of femur at term

Length CHL 50 = term
Weight 2.5+
Eye brows, eye lashes
Palmar creases 
Finger nails
Descended testes 
Vernix caseosa 
Meconium 
No lanugo hair

Question 6

How do you establish live birth?

Answer 6

Circumstantial evidence
Medical evidence

Proof of respiration

• gross pathology
• histology

Food in alimentary tract

Changes in umbilical cord

Blood changes

Question 7

How do you estimate the time since birth in a neonate?

Answer 7

Umbilical stump
Blood

Shrunk vessels = just born

Dried cut end = 24 hours

Basal inflammation = 2 days

Obliterated artery = 3 days

Obliterated veins = 5 days

Fallen off = 6 days

Complete healing = 10 days

Nucleated RBC disappears in 24 hours

HbF 80 —> 8% within 3 months of birth

Question 9

How do you provide proof of respiration?

Answer 9

Pink expanded lungs

Flotation test

Histology expanded alveoli, flat epithelium

Crepitation

Rib markings

Weight 1/35th of body weight

Breslau’s test for air in stomach

Question 10

How do you exclude infanticide?

Answer 10

Skin maceration = IUD
Fatal congenital anomalies
Extreme immaturity (non viable)
Intrapartum death