May 16, 2013

establishing the cause of a child’s death: post-mortem MRI

Despite the importance of autopsy following the death of a baby or young child, parents often object to them and consent rates for both neonatal and foetal autopsy are falling. This has consequences not only for the provision of accurate disease risk and counselling services for the families concerned, but also for the quality of mortality data used to assess and inform wider public health.

It has previously been suggested that post-mortem MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) may offer an effective alternative to autopsy that is less invasive and therefore more acceptable to parents and next of kin. However, evidence for its accuracy is scarce.

Research in The Lancet reports the first large prospective study of post-mortem MRI in foetuses, infants and children, and the SMC invited the authors in to describe their findings and the implications it has for this most complex and sensitive issue.

Speakers:

Dr Sudhin Thayyil, Consultant Neonatologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and University College Hospital

Professor Andrew Taylor, Consultant Radiologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital and University College Hospital