The role of plain radiography in fetal and newborn post-mortem evaluation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25758/set.2071Keywords:
Autopsy, Post-mortem, Fetus and newborn, Forensic radiology, Infant mortality, Radiographic osteometryAbstract
The wide range of applications and improvements of medical imaging for forensic purposes has undergone past years of huge expansion and development. Thus, our study aim is to demonstrate the role of radiographic fetal osteometry in fetuses and newborns post-mortem. From a methodological point of view, this study was based on extensive bibliographic research, followed by an observational and retrospective study. From data of biometric and anthropometric parameters extracted from autopsies and radiographs performed on 152 fetuses and newborns, from 2014 to 2015, it can be observed that the results achieved were highly correlated with gestational age. As a primary outcome, we found statistical evidence in radiographic osteometry (r=0.529, p<0.01) which measures are linked with gestational age. We conclude that radiographic evaluation in autopsies of fetuses and newborns is important in the determination of fetal or postnatal underdevelopment.
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