Spalding's sign is seen in

Ans. is 'd' i.e. Maceration Spalding's sign Overriding of the cranial bones on one another, due to liquefaction of brain matter and softening of the ligamentous structures supporting the vault. It usually appears 7 days after death. It is a sign of Maceration in a dead-born child. Still Stillbornad-born child Still born child is one, which is bom after 28th wk of pregnancy and which did not breathe or show any other signs of life, at any time after being completely bom The child was alive in utero, but ied during the process of birth. Dead born child a dead bom child is one which has died in utero, and shows one of the following signs Rigor mortis at delivery Maceration This is the process of aseptic autolysis of the fetus dead in utero and is the usual change It occurs when the dead fetus remains in the uterus for 3-4 days surrounded by liquor amnii but with the exclusion of air, It does not occur if the dead fetus is bom within about 24 hrs. It is characterised by softening and degeneration of tissues. The process is aseptic because the fetus is enclosed in the membranes in a sterile condition. * Signs of maceration are The earliest sign of maceration is skin slippage which can be seen in 12 hrs after the death of the child in utero. Appearance of gas in heart and great vessels (Robert's sign) Collapse of the vertebral column The body of the macerated fetus is soft, flaccid and flattens out when placed on a level surface. It has a sweetish disagreeable odour. The skin is red or purple Large blebs appear at 24 hrs which contains thin fluid The epidermis detaches easily and leaves moist and greasy areas. The umbilical cord is thickened and soft The bony junctions both in the skull and in this joints are lax and abnormally mobile. Spalding sign is seen * If the membranes are ruptured after the death of the fetus and air enters into liquor amnii, the fetus undergoes putrefaction instead of maceration. 3) Mummification Mummification results when the death of a fetus occurs from a deficient supply of blood or when liquor amnii is scanty, and when no air has entered the uterus. The fetus is dried up & shrivelled.