Dr. Kendall Crowns

I mean, if they've taken a breath, the lungs will float, but it could also mean they were given CPR, but it could also mean there's decompositional gas formation.

So one of the other things you'll do with the flotation test is take the liver, take a section of the liver and place it in the water as well to see if it will float to show that there is or is not decomposition.

There would be no air in the liver.

So if the liver doesn't float, you know that there is no decomposition.

But if it does float, then it puts into question whether the lungs are floating because of decomposition or because there's air in them.

So then you have to go to microscopic analysis.

Correct, yes.

So what else will be done is microscopic analysis or looking at sections of the tissue under a microscope, looking for any disease processes.

Also, you'll be looking at the lungs there as well, looking to see if the air sacs or the alveoli in the lungs have filled up with air.

The other thing you'll be looking at is the placenta, if it's available, looking at the placenta, looking for any evidence of hemorrhage or loss of oxygen or infarction or infection of the membranes.

You'll be looking at the umbilical cord to see if it's normally formed, if it was wrapped around the child's neck.

or if it has inflammation as well.

And then you'll also be looking for any evidence of trauma, birth trauma where like the shoulder got stuck and they had to pull the child very hard, fracturing the shoulder or separating the neck.

You'll also be looking for inflicted trauma like crushing of the ribs, breaking of the extremities or the long bones of the extremities or crushing of the skull.

Yes, we see that occasionally with full-term infants or babies that are beyond the 23-week gestation.

The mother places it in the trash bag and seals the trash bag, throwing it in the trash.

There's not enough oxygen in there for the child to survive, and so they eventually will suffocate by being in a plastic bag, just as if you put a plastic bag over your head, it would suffocate you.

So mechanical asphyxia is basically some sort of compression on the chest or neck that makes it impossible for you to breathe.

Specifically mechanical strangulation, what they're referring to as a bar hold or choke hold is where the arm is placed across the front of the neck

and then drawn back with the other arm, compressing your trachea and making it impossible for you to breathe.