Top

Published in:

01-11-2009 | Case Report

Sudden intrauterine death associated with furcate insertion of the umbilical cord

Authors: P. J. Laberke, G. Deubler

Published in: International Journal of Legal Medicine | Issue 6/2009

Abstract

In the case described, a completely uncomplicated pregnancy ended with a fatal outcome. Intrauterine fetal death, which was diagnosed prepartum at 40 weeks of gestation, was caused by hemorrhage of the fetus into the amniotic fluid following rupture of the umbilical vein at the site of furcate insertion of the umbilical cord. This insertion anomaly accompanied by rupture of a vessel occurs only very rarely but represents a placental cause of an abrupt and unpredicted end of a pregnancy. Although this process involved trauma, from a medico-legal point of view, there was no sign of external impact and death could, therefore, be classified as natural.

Baergen RN (2005) Manual of Benirschke and Kaufmann’s pathology of the human placenta. Springer, Berlin, pp 263–274

Bajanowski T, Vennemann M, Bohnert M, Rauch E, Brinkmann B, Mitchell EA, GeSID Group (2005) Unnatural causes of sudden unexpected deaths initially thought to be sudden infant death syndrome. Int J Legal Med 119:213–216CrossRefPubMed

Benirschke K, Kaufmann P, Beargen R (2006) Pathology of the human placenta. Springer, Berlin, pp 401–426

Bohnert M, Große Perdekamp M, Pollak S (2004) Three subsequent infanticides covered up as SIDS. Int J Legal Med 119:31–34CrossRefPubMed

Dirnhofer R, Sigrist T (1983) Intra partum death or infanticide? A contribution on intrapartal asphyxia. Z Rechtsmed 91:145–151CrossRefPubMed

Drasch G, Meyer Lv (1978) Dokumentation of autopsies from the Institute of Legal Medicine of Munich 1911–1974 and interpretation of the violent death causes. Z Rechtsmed 82:157–164CrossRefPubMed

Golding J (1993) Epidemiology of fetal and neonatal death. In: Fetal and neonatal pathology, 2nd edn. Springer, London, pp 165–181

Hyrtl J (1870) Die Blutgefäße der menschlichen Nachgeburt in normalen und abnormalen Verhältnissen. Braunmüller, Wien

Ohshima T, Kondo T, Lin Z, Nagano T (1993) Suspected maternal infanticide in a case of hydranencephaly. Int J Legal Med 105:351–354CrossRefPubMed

10.

Ottow B (1923) Über die Insertio furcata der Nabelschnur. Arch Gynecol Obstet 118:378–382

11.

Schneider H (1993) Trauma in der Schwangerschaft. Arch Gynecol Obstet 253:4–14CrossRef

12.

Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland (2006) Totgeborene insgesamt 1990–2005

13.

Steinbiss W (1928) Tod infolge einer Placenta cervicalis accreta unter falschem Verdacht auf kriminellen Abort. Z Rechtsmed 12:234–240

14.

Vogel M (1997) Pathologie der Schwangerschaft, der Plazenta und des Neugeborenen. In: Remmele W (ed) Pathologie. 2nd edn. Springer, Heidelberg, pp 369–460

15.

Weissman A, Jakobi P, Bronshtein M, Goldstein I (1994) Sonographic measurements of the umbilical cord and vessels during normal pregnancies. J Ultrasound Med 13:11–14PubMed

16.

Wessel J, Gerhold W, Unger M, Lichtenegger W, Vogel M (1992) Nabelschnurkomplikationen als Ursache des intrauterinen Fruchttodes. Z Geburtshilfe Perinatol 196(4):173–176PubMed

Title: Sudden intrauterine death associated with furcate insertion of the umbilical cord
Authors: P. J. Laberke
G. Deubler
Publication date: 01-11-2009
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: International Journal of Legal Medicine / Issue 6/2009
Print ISSN: 0937-9827
Electronic ISSN: 1437-1596
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-008-0295-6

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Sudden intrauterine death associated with furcate insertion of the umbilical cord

Abstract

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 6/2009

Comments on the review of low copy number testing

Comprehensive mutation analysis of 17 Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat polymorphisms included in the AmpFlSTR® Yfiler® PCR amplification kit

Dental age diagnostics by means of radiographical evaluation of the growth stages of lower wisdom teeth

“GenderPlex” a PCR multiplex for reliable gender determination of degraded human DNA samples and complex gender constellations

Effectiveness of Bang and Ramm’s formulae in age assessment of Indians from dentin translucency length

Forensic and phylogeographic characterization of mtDNA lineages from northern Thailand (Chiang Mai)