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Review
. 2025 Sep;21(3):1561-1565.
doi: 10.1007/s12024-024-00932-2. Epub 2024 Dec 21.

Yellow meconium

Johanna Preuß-Wössner  1 , Jan-Peter Sperhake  2 , Burkhard Madea  3
Affiliations
Review

Yellow meconium

Johanna Preuß-Wössner et al. Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2025 Sep.

Abstract

The intestinal content of newborns is known as meconium, usually described as a black-greenish slimy substance. However, in rare cases, meconium might be yellow. This is of great relevance with regard to the forensic assessment of life birth, i.e. (longer) survival time and possible (breast-)feeding before death. While in older German forensic literature, yellow meconium has been occasionally mentioned from the 19th century on - without any conclusions being drawn from this finding whether the newborn was alive or had been fed -, current forensic literature does not provide information about this phenomenon. No reports of yellow meconium were found in (older) English forensic literature as well. We report two cases of newborn autopsies with yellow meconium and provide a short overview of the respective literature.

Keywords: Color; Meconium; Putrefaction; Vitality.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethical approval: Ethical approval was not required for this type of paper. Informed consent: Informed consent was not required for this type of paper. Compliance with ethical standards: The paper was written in compliance with Ethical Standards. Conflict of interest: The author declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Newborn corpse of the first case
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Colon contents, case 1
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Colon contents, case 2
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Preuß-Wössner J, Sperhake J, Madea B. Die Farbe des Meconiums. Rechtsmedizin. 2024;34:297.
    1. Sperhake JP, Hauck ST, Schröder AS, Preuss-Wössner J. Welche Farbe hat Mekonium bei der Autopsie? Rechtsmedizin. 2021;31(4):339.
    1. Forster B. Praxis der Rechtsmedizin. Stuttgart New York: Thieme; 1986.
    1. Haberda A. Zur Lehre vom Kindsmorde. Beiträge zur Gerichtl Medizin. 1911;Bd 1:S67.
    1. Haberda A. (1923) In: E von Hofmanns Lehrbuch der Gerichtlichen Medizin. 2. Teil Urban und Schwarzenberg: Berlin, Wien, S. 920.

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