Chapter 26 INFANTICIDE

INFANTICIDE
INFANTICIDE
 Infanticide means killing of an
infant LESS THAN 3 DAYS
OF AGE OR LESS THAN 72
HOURS.
 This is intentional killing of
infants.
Infanticide
vs Abortion
What drives a parent to kill a baby?
Parents ease the killing of a newborn

by persuading themselves that it is
not yet a child
“Hence ,it is obvious that in a case of
infanticide the matters to be proved are”
 Whether it was viable when born

 Whether the foetus was born alive.
 Whether it had separated existence for sometimes.
 That the cause of death was neither natural nor
accidental but was due to some deliberate act of
commission or omission
 That the dead infant examined belonged to the woman
charged for commission of the offence of infanticide
Whether the foetus was born
alive
 Viability or capacity to lead a
separate life outside the body of
mother, depends on many biological
and physiological factors.
 The acceptable age of viability of a

foetus is 210 days.
Whether it was viable when
born
Two other condition of newly

born foetuses are recognised,
when they are not born alive.
These are:
1.Still born foetus
2.Dead born foetus
STILL BORN FOETUS
 According to WHO- “a still born child as one, which has
issued forth from the mother , after 28 wks of pregnancy and
didn’t at any time after being completely expelled, breathe or
show any sign of life”
 In contrast to general conception, some still born foetuses
may show signs of respiration, when they are still in the
vagina or uterus.
( Vagitus vaginalis or Vagitus uterinus)
 Frequency of still birth rate is calculated as 1 in 18 births.
Medico legal aspects of still
birth
 Charge of infanticide will not stand
in still birth cases.
 In India, killing after live birth is
considered as murder (302 IPC) and
to prevent live birth under 315 IPC.
DEAD BORN
 Death of a foetus inside the uterus.
Sign Of Dead Born Foetus
1.Rigor mortis
2.Intrauterine maceration (Autolytic decomposition)
Overlapping of skull bones (Spalding sign)
Soft tissue oedema: skin >5 mm
3. Intrauterine mummification
4.Putrifaction
Gas shadow in foetal heart& vassels(Robert's sign)
LIVE BIRTH
What is complete birth?
The foetus is alive,
OR
at least one part of its body comes out of the
mother’s body?.
Sign Of Live Birth
As Recognised By Civil Law
a. Cry of the baby
b. Movement of any part of body
c. Sneezing and yawning
d. Heartbeat
Cause of Infant death
A-Natural
B-Accidental
C-Criminal
Natural causes :
 Prematurity
 Asphyxia
 Birth trauma
 Congenital malformation
 Haemolytic disease
 Neonatal infection
 Early separation of placenta
 Pre - eclamptic toxaemia in mother
 Infective condition during infancy
 Sudden infant death syndrome
Accidental causes during birth:
 Injury to mother on her abdomen
 Prolapse of cord
 Prolonged labour
 Twisting of cord around neck
 Premature separation of placenta.
 Mother’s death.
Accidental causes after birth :
 Non rupture of membrane.
 Cord around neck
 Head injury
 Non-availability of nursing care-neonate may die due to
smothering, choking, suffocation, drowning.
 Precipitated labour-may cause death of the newborn due to
head injury, suffocation or drowning or bleeding from
umbilical stump.
Criminal causes
May be divided into two groups :
1.Acts of Omission
2.Acts of Commission
1.Acts of Omission
or deliberate neglect
 Intentional failure to extend those cares to the newborn, that may lead to its death
and may amount to infanticide.
 Examples-
A)failure to tie the cord
B)failure to protect the child from being suffocated by linens
C)failure to protect it from exposure of cold or other adverse site.
2).Acts of commission to cause
infant death
 Suffocation by Smothering , Gagging, pressure over
chest wall
 Strangulation
 Drowning
 Poisoning
 Head injury
 Concealed punctured wound-may be caused by nail or
needle through fontanelle, inner canthus of eye.
 Cut throat injury
 Burying of newborn alive
 Burning
Sudden infant death syndrome
 Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) also

known as cot death or crib death is the sudden
death of an infant that is not predicted by
medical history and remains unexplained after
a thorough forensic autopsy and detailed
death scene investigation
Medico-legal importance of SIDS
 Cot death being natural or very

occasionally accidental, the parent
may be wrongfully linked for having
criminal involvement or negligence.
 Some criminal infant death cases may

be presented as natural cot death cases.
Non-Accidental Injury Of Childhood
Battered Baby Syndrome
 Also known as maltreatment syndrome in children

or Caffey’s syndrome or child abuse syndrome.
 A battered child is one who has received repetitive
physical injuries as a result of non accidental
violence, produced by parent or guardian. in
addition to physical injuries there may be non-
accidental deprivation of nutrition, care and
affection.
Features of Battered Baby
Syndrome
 Age-usually less than 3 years old
 Sex-slightly more in male(55 to 63%)
 Position in family-eldest or youngest and often
unwanted
 Socio-economic factors-lower socioeconomic status
 History-difference between nature of injury and
explanation given by parent
 Treatment-delay between injury and medical attention
Injuries in Battered Baby
Syndrome
 Surface injuries-mainly head face and neck
region. Mainly bruise, abrasion and
laceration.
 Laceration of mucosa of upper lip, often tear
of fraenulum is most characteristic lesion.
 Violent shaking lead to subdural
haematoma(40% cases) and intraocular
bleeding in battered babies, so called
“Infantile Whiplash Syndrome”
 Bite mark, traumatic alopecia, retinal haemorrhage,
injuries to liver and spleen, small pitted burn of cigarette.
 Skull fracture are common in occipital-parietal area.
 Multiple rib fracture occur along posterior angle of ribs.
after one to two weeks, callus is formed, and on X –ray “a
string of beads” appearance is seen in the paravertebral
gutter (NOBBING FRACTURE)
Diagnosis
 Diagnosis depends upon

1. Nature of injuries
2. Time taken to seek medical advice
3. Recurrent injuries
Munchausen’s Syndrome By
Proxy
 The term describe the action of one
person (usually mother) who inflict
harm against another person ( usually
an infant or small child) in an attempt
to gain sympathy and attention for both
of her own and child’s suffering.

Chapter 26 INFANTICIDE

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Chapter 26 INFANTICIDE

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INFANTICIDE

Parents ease the killing of a newborn

 Whether it was viable when born

 The acceptable age of viability of a

Two other condition of newly

a. Cry of the baby

b. Movement of any part of body

c. Sneezing and yawning

May be divided into two groups :

 Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) also

 Cot death being natural or very

 Some criminal infant death cases may

 Also known as maltreatment syndrome in children

 Diagnosis depends upon

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