Neonaticide. Special case inmedicolegal autopsies

Neonaticide is characterized by a range of special case circumstances. Whether or not a case is deemed to be a homicide can only be evaluated following autopsy and additional examinations. During autopsy external signs of maturity (e.g. physical attributes such as height and weight) should be validated and further specific autopsy techniques, such as lung floating tests should be considered. While the lung floating test is as relevant as ever, more recent developments in post-mortem examinations, as described in the literature impart richer detail. Utilization of medical imaging, most especially computed tomography (CT) scans, provides valuable information in cases of suspected neonaticide as it allows nondestructive examination and documentation of the actual state of the subject.