ABSTRACT
If death occurs more than a couple of days before birth, the fetus is commonly macerated because of the effects of early decomposition combined with exposure to fluid (Figure 7.1). The infant is discoloured, usually a pinkish-brown or red, with extensive desquamation of the skin; the tissues have a soft, slimy translucence and there may be partial collapse of the head with overriding of the skull plates. The appearance of the child is quite different from that seen in an infant that has died following a live birth and then begun to putrefy. Because many, if not most, of these deaths occur after the onset of labour and during the
process of birth itself, no evidence of maceration will be present.
