Question 1

Q: In forensic medicine, the hydrostatic test is primarily used to determine which of the following conditions in a deceased infant?

Evidence of infanticide. ### Explanation The **Hydrostatic Test** (also known as the **Raygat’s Test** or **Floatation Test**) is a classic forensic procedure used to determine whether a child was **born alive** or was **stillborn**. This distinction is the cornerstone of investigating suspected **infanticide**. #### Why the Correct Answer is Right: The test is based on the physiological principle that once an infant takes its first breath, the lungs expand and air fills the alveoli. This reduces the specific gravity of the lung tissue (from ~1.050 to ~0.950), making it lighter than water. * **Positive Test (Floating):** Indicates the infant breathed (live birth). * **Negative Test (Sinking):** Indicates the lungs never expanded (stillbirth). In cases of suspected infanticide, proving a "live birth" is the first legal requirement for a homicide charge. #### Why Incorrect Options are Wrong: * **Options A, B, and C (Drowning):** While these involve water, the hydrostatic test is unrelated to the mechanism of drowning. Drowning in adults or children is diagnosed via different findings, such as **Getter’s Test** (chloride levels), **diatom analysis**, or the presence of **fine, leathery froth** at the mouth/nostrils. #### NEET-PG High-Yield Pearls: * **False Positives (Floating despite stillbirth):** Can occur due to **putrefaction** (gas formation) or artificial respiration. * **False Negatives (Sinking despite live birth):** Can occur in cases of **atelectasis**, severe pneumonia, or pulmonary edema. * **Static Test (Fodere’s Test):** Involves weighing the lungs. The **Ploucquet’s Test** compares the lung weight to the total body weight (Ratio is ~1:70 for live birth and ~1:35 for stillbirth). * **Wredin’s Test:** Checks for the presence of air in the middle ear (another sign of live birth).

Question

In forensic medicine, the hydrostatic test is primarily used to determine which of the following conditions in a deceased infant?

Accepted Answer

Evidence of infanticide

Answer

The presence of dry drowning

Answer

The presence of wet drowning

Answer

The circumstances of near drowning

Infanticide — MCQs

Infanticide — MCQs

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