An unfortunate but important session was our time spent with the Pediatric Medical Examiner. Dr Monica Smiddy gave a teaching on how to proceed with a pediatric autopsy. The findings serve to give a ‘cause of death’ (scientific explanation for why the child died) and a ‘manner of death’ (an opinion formulated based on the evidence gathered). Unlike the adult autopsy, the pediatric autopsy pays very close attention to measurements (head circumference, femur length, organ weights etc) as this gives valuable information about the state of the baby while alive and tells if the child was developing normally. Although sad, the Medical Examiner’s 2 part teaching sessions are highly recommended since a lot of life is understood by examining the dead.
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