[Autopsy of children, neonates, fetuses and embryos: Preparation, technique and report writing]

Information obtained from the autopsies of children, neonates, fetuses and embryos, may not only be useful to explain the loss experienced by the parents but also to estimate the risk of recurrence. The detection of diseases by an autopsy helps to reduce the risk as well as with the planning of the next pregnancy and the optimal care of mother and fetus. Although incidences are continually dropping, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics each year at least 2.6 million children worldwide suffer intrauterine death after the 28th week of pregnancy. Despite a general decrease in the number of autopsies, the parents agreed to a post-mortem examination in 500 out of 512 cases. The post-mortem examination and interpretation of results of children differ from those obtained from adults. As a supplement to previous publications, this article discusses these differences and may provide standardized instructions on performing autopsies and evaluation of autopsy findings.