Coffin birth

Coffin birth is the expulsion of a fetus from the decomposing uterus of its dead mother as a result of the buildup of gases in the parent's decaying body. This kind of postmortem delivery has been known to occur only rarely in humans throughout recorded history. Modern embalming techniques have made occurrences nearly unheard of, and therefore this term is not usually part of the modern medical lexicon. A coffin birth could occur when the mother's body is not discovered for some time. In the widely publicized Laci Peterson case, some medical professionals theorized that a coffin birth may have been the reason that the baby was discovered separate from the mother's body.

See also: pregnancy, childbirth, stillbirth, premature birth