Autopsy Study on Feticide, Neonaticide & Infanticide

The incidence of feticide, neonaticide and infanticide is a world- wide phenomenon. The data based on forensic autopsy in fetuses, neonates and infants in India are relatively less reported in the literature. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of fetal, neonatal, and infant death and to determine the main injury leading to death among them, to evaluate demographic profile and various socio-economic factors contributing to the deaths, pattern of injuries, manner & cause of death in the cases of mentioned age. Further, this study would also help the researchers to identify and compare the data of present study with the other countries for further investigation of the cases and plan new policies to prevent such incidences.

This was a ten years (from 2012 to 2022) retrospective descriptive and analytical study based on primary data of inquest reports and autopsy reports in the Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Government Medical college, Karnal, Haryana.

The total number of cases of fetus, neonate and infant autopsies amounts to around 1.1% of total autopsy during the study period. A total number of 30 cases are analyzed. In which, 21 cases (70%) were unknown and 9 cases (30%) were known. The total 14 (46.7 %) were male, 10 (33.3%) were female and in 6 cases (20.0%) gender was not ascertained. The bodies were recovered from the open field were12 (40%), dustbin 1 (3.3%), roadside bushes 7 (23.1%), railway track 1 (3.3%), hospitals 5 (17%) and home after birth 4 (13.3%). The total number of 16 (53.4%) bodies were brought without placenta, 7 cases (23.3%) were brought along with placenta, 6 cases (20%) were found mutilated along with gnawing effects and 1 (3.3%) case showed post mortem burn/charring. The cause of death in majority of the cases is Head Injury (10.4%) followed by natural death (6.6%), neck injury (1%), asphyxia/gagging (1%), 30% were dead born and 46.4% were not crossed the period of viability.