[Neonaticide: frequently suspected, seldom proven]

To present an overview of pathological findings on neonaticide in the Netherlands.

Retrospective descriptive study.

We analyzed all autopsy reports on neonates from the Netherlands Forensic Institute for the period 1994-2011. We collected data on gestational age, how the body had been discovered and autopsy results.

We included details of 78 victims; 61 (78%) had been born at full term and 17 (22%) prematurely. Half of the victims were girls, 40% were boys and in 10% the state of the body meant that it was not possible to determine the sex. Minimal, moderate and severe putrefaction was observed in 29 bodies (37%), 15 bodies (19%) and 34 bodies (44%), respectively. In the cases with moderate or severe decomposition it was not possible to determine with certainty whether the child had been born alive and, if applicable, the cause of death. Of the remaining 29 cases with minimal decomposition, 1 had been stillborn; a possible cause of death could be determined in 12 cases.

In the Netherlands 4 to 5 forensic autopsies are performed annually in cases of suspected neonaticide. In most cases decomposition is already too advanced to be able to determine whether there was any sign of life at birth and to establish the cause of death, if applicable.