Thanatology: maceration of the foetus: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Forensic Medicine · Thanatology: maceration of the foetus

Sample item

A stillborn infant delivered several days after intrauterine death has peeling skin with red-brown fluid blisters, soft tissues and overlapping of the skull bones on a radiograph. What is this process?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Maceration, a sterile autolytic change in utero

A foetus that dies in utero with intact membranes lies in sterile liquor and undergoes aseptic autolysis. It shows skin slippage, red-brown discolouration, soft tissues and collapse of the skull with overlapping bones (Spalding's sign). Putrefaction needs access of air and bacteria, and mummification needs drying.

Option by option

  • A. Mummification of the foetus

    Mummification gives a dry, shrunken, leathery foetus, which is not described here.

  • B. Putrefaction by gas-forming organisms

    Putrefaction needs bacteria and air; the sterile liquor in intact membranes prevents it.

  • C. Maceration, a sterile autolytic change in utero (correct)

    Correct. Aseptic softening and skin slippage of a retained dead foetus is maceration.

  • D. Adipocere formation

    Adipocere needs fat to hydrolyse over weeks in moist surroundings.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is C, Maceration, a sterile autolytic change in utero. A foetus that dies in utero with intact membranes lies in sterile liquor and undergoes aseptic autolysis.

Why is "Mummification of the foetus" not the answer?

Mummification gives a dry, shrunken, leathery foetus, which is not described here.

Why is "Putrefaction by gas-forming organisms" not the answer?

Putrefaction needs bacteria and air; the sterile liquor in intact membranes prevents it.

Why is "Adipocere formation" not the answer?

Adipocere needs fat to hydrolyse over weeks in moist surroundings.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Thanatology: maceration of the foetus in Forensic Medicine. It shows skin slippage, red-brown discolouration, soft tissues and collapse of the skull with overlapping bones (Spalding's sign). Putrefaction needs access of air and bacteria, and mummification needs drying.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Thanatology: maceration of the foetus?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.