Determining Live Birth: An Unusual Case

Twins of unknown gestational age were delivered prematurely at home, placed in a bin bag, and hidden in a drawer. They were discovered several hours later after the mother presented to a hospital with postpartum hemorrhage. Autopsy took place after postmortem computed tomographic scans and full skeletal surveys were performed. One infant was macerated, and autopsy reflected a death in utero. The other was not macerated, and internal examination showed evidence of air entry into the lungs. Histology and postmortem computed tomographic scan also suggested that there had been air entry into the lungs.