You are called to the emergency room to see a baby who was unresponsive. The delivery is believed to have occurred at home. It has only been half an hour since the body was born as per the bystander. On examination you find fracture of skull base and a depressed fracture of temporal bone. Neuroimaging revealed contusions on the brain. The baby died within 15 minutes. The ER resident is of the opinion that the injuries must have occurred during labour. The bystander also has the same opinion. What is your opinion regarding the nature of death of the baby?
Skull bone fracture involving the vault or base is suggestive of head injuries due to blunt force trauma. Depressed fracture with contusion, laceration and hemorrhage in the brain is also suggestive of head injury due to blunt force trauma. So in this scenario the findings are highly in our of homicide. Ref: Textbook of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology by Narayan Reddy, Edition 21, Page 374
Accidental
Natural
Homicidal
None