[Placental findings in perinatal cases of death]

Autopsy is an indispensable tool to clarify the cause of death in perinatal cases of death. The authors report on two cases of perinatal death, in which not only a forensic autopsy including histological and microbiological examinations had been performed, but the placenta had also been pathologically assessed. Only on the basis of the placental findings was it possible to clarify the cause of death and to answer the question if the physician had committed medical malpractice. The results underline the importance of examining the placenta in perinatal deaths as a matter of routine. In forensic cases, the police should therefore not only confiscate the infant's body, but also the placenta.