Postmortem Findings in a Neonate or Infant Distinguishing Stillbirth from Live Birth

When a neonate or infant is found dead, certain findings can help determine if the baby was a stillbirth or died after delivery.

Parameter	Stillbirth	Live Birth
skin	maceration and/or diffuse erythema
umbilical cord	long and intact	sloughing or absent
lungs	immature or unexpanded; sink in water	mature and expanded; float on water
external appearance	blood or birthing fluids	evidence of being cared for
documentation at delivery	no breathing and no pulse	breathing and pulse, crying
stomach	empty of food	food may be present, stress ulcers present
wounds		evidence of bleeding or bruising
hands		clenched hand clutching clothing or bedding

where:

• Attempts to resuscitate a dead infant at delivery can result in aeration of the lungs.

• Body weight and size may be an unreliable sign of live birth if there was intrauterine macrosomia.

• A stillborn fetus can be washed and dressed in a hospital as part of the maternal mourning program.

If the infant is older than a newborn then it is presumed to have had a live birth.

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