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Fetal gunshot wound characteristics.
Charles A Catanese1, Kristin Gilmore
1Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, New York City, SUNY Downstate/Kings County Hospital Department of Pathology, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA. c_catanese@hotmail.com
Journal of Forensic Sciences
|October 2, 2002
Summary
Forensic analysis of fetal gunshot wounds is rare. This case report details atypical fetal wound patterns resulting from maternal firearm injury, highlighting unique characteristics of fetal skin.
Area of Science:
- Forensic pathology
- Maternal-fetal medicine
Background:
- Firearm injuries during pregnancy are documented.
- Forensic analysis of fetal wounds from firearm injuries is not well-established in existing literature.
Observation:
- A case of a 40-week gestational age fetus deceased from multiple perforating gunshot wounds is presented.
- The mother survived the incident.
Findings:
- The fetal gunshot wounds exhibited atypical characteristics, including irregular perforations.
- These wounds featured radiating linear lacerations and adjacent abrasions.
- The unusual morphology may be attributed to interposed targets, fetal self-shoring, uterine corpus interaction, and fetal skin properties.
Implications:
- This case provides critical insights into the forensic evaluation of fetal injuries from ballistic trauma.
- Understanding these atypical wound patterns is essential for accurate forensic interpretation in maternal-fetal firearm incidents.