Citation

Aldakheel R, Alahmad F, Alhantosh S, Albaqqal Z, Ali Z, Alfaraj D. J. Healthc. Sci. 2024; 4(2): JOHS2023000761.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, Research Establishment for Electronic Publication, Saudi Ministry of Media)

DOI

10.52533/JOHS.2024.40203

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Infanticide refers to the act of killing of infant under the age of 12 months. It is mostly associated with mental disturbance during and immediately after pregnancy. Infanticide can result either from the act of commission or omission. Violence can be used by application of a blunt force or hard object on the infant leading to fractures or damage to vital organs. Strangulation is cutting off the flow of air by constriction of the air passages. This can be done manually or using a cord that wrap the neck. Drowning is the process of submersion or immersion in a liquid medium leading to respiratory impairment. Exposing the infant into the extremes of temperature is also one of the methods used in infanticide. It eventually results in organ dysfunction such as cardiac and respiratory failure, leading to death. Smothering is a form of asphyxia which is caused by deliberate mechanical blocking of the nose and mouth using hands, pillows, or any other objects. It is one of the favorable methods as the absence of resistance from the weak infant hardly leave any injuries. Stabbing is also one of the rare methods used in infanticide. Defenestration is the act of throwing someone or something out of a window leading to severe polytrauma and damage to vital brain centers. Negligence, which is the deliberate withholding of the infant's normal care, is one of the common methods in which death results from dehydration and starvation.

Keywords: Infanticide, neonaticide, filicide, smothering, neglect

Language: en