Posthumous birth: scientists explained the terrible phenomenon

Posthumous childbirth, or, more simply, childbirth in a coffin, people have recorded throughout history. This eerie phenomenon has been surrounded by a mystical, occult halo for centuries. He was associated with witchcraft, vampirism and the machinations of the devil, without being able to give a scientific explanation to the phenomenon.

In 2010, in the Italian city of Imola, archaeologists discovered the burial of a woman dated to the 7th-8th century AD. The deceased was between 25 and 30 years old, she was lying on her back, surrounded by various ritual objects. But most of all, scientists were interested in the bones of the baby, which lay just below the pelvis of the deceased.

A careful examination of the remains showed that the woman died during pregnancy. There were about 2-3 weeks left before the birth. The cause of her death is unknown, but it may have been related to her position. The remains of the child lay between the femurs. Apparently, the fetus came out almost or even completely when the body had already been buried.

Pathologist Caitlin Doughty is sure that this case is just an example of a post-mortem birth. This phenomenon can occur 48-72 hours after the onset of death. There is nothing supernatural in it, and everything is simply explained by science. The fetus is pushed out by gases that are formed in the abdominal cavity due to decomposition processes. The fetus partially or completely protrudes, as happened with the woman from Imola.

Nevertheless, some believe that there is something supernatural in the posthumous birth. As arguments, these people cite the fact that no one talks about such cases these days. Perhaps the point is in some kind of witchcraft rite that the ancients used?

But even in this case there is a logical explanation. Even in the old days, childbirth in a coffin was recorded infrequently. Nowadays, their probability has decreased many times, thanks to the preparation of the dead for burial. Around the end of the 19th century, embalming began to be actively practiced in Europe and America.

This process involves the injection of chemical preservatives and disinfectants, such as formaldehyde, into the dead body. These substances stop the development of bacteria and significantly slow down the decomposition of the corpse. But it is the bacteria that produce gases that push the fetus out of the mother's body. Gas formation in the embalmed body is slow and sufficient pressure for "delivery" is not reached.

Post-mortem births now occur mostly after homicides, suicides and accidents. They are possible if the body has not been detected for a long time and has not been processed in time. In the specialized literature, such situations are described more than once, but information about them usually remains the property of professionals. In general, the observation of the decomposition of dead bodies, no matter how cynical it sounds, significantly enriches forensic medicine.