An Analysis on Legal Autopsy Under 1Year of Age.

Lee, Han Young; Yang, Kyung Moo; Kim, Jae Kwon; Kang, Shin Mong

Original article

Korean Journal of Legal Medicine 2003;27(2):17-22.
Published online October 31, 2003.

An Analysis on Legal Autopsy Under 1Year of Age.

Han Young Lee, Kyung Moo Yang, Jae Kwon Kim, Shin Mong Kang

¹National Institute of Scientific Investigation, Seoul, Korea.
²Department of Forensic Medicine, Catholic University Medical School, Seoul, Korea. Kangsm@catholic.ac.kr

Abstract

This is a statistical analysis based on the data of legal autopsies under 1 year of age performed at the Headquarters of the National Institute Scientific Investigation, requested from law enforcement agencies from 1996 to 2000. This report aims to analyse various aspects of 530 unusual deaths under 1 year of age in Korea, chiefly Seoul and its surrounding area. Male was 55.8% and female was 44.2%. Unnatural deaths were 39.6%, natural 53.4%, and the unknown 7.0%. Homicide occupied 66.7% in unnatural death and asphyxia was 41.4%, starvation and neglect 35.0%, and trauma 20.7% in homicide. Smothering was the leading cause of asphyxial homicide and accidental death. Natural death including perinatal disorders, sudden infant death syndrome and congenital malformations was the main cause of death in this age group.

Key Words: legal autopsy, under 1 year of age, unusual death, homicide