Death of a seven-month-old child in a washing machine: a case report

Abstract

The authors present a case which brings out a unique modality of child homicide by placing the baby in a washing machine and turning it on. The murder was perpetrated by the baby's mother, who suffered from a serious depressive disorder. A postmortem RX and then a forensic autopsy were performed, followed by histologic examinations and toxicology. On the basis of the results of the autopsy, as well as the histology and the negative toxicological data, the cause of death was identified as acute asphyxia. This diagnosis was rendered in light of the absence of other causes of death, as well as the presence of typical signs of asphyxia, such as epicardial and pleural petechiae and, above all, the microscopic examinations, which pointed out a massive acute pulmonary emphysema. Regarding the cause of the asphyxia, at least two mechanisms can be identified: drowning and smothering. In addition, the histology of the brain revealed some findings that can be regarded as a consequence of the barotrauma due to the centrifugal force applied by the rotating drum of the washing machine. Another remarkable aspect is that we are dealing with a mentally-ill assailant. In fact, the baby's mother, after a psychiatric examination, was confirmed to be suffering from a mental illness-a severe depressive disorder-and so she was adjudicated not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity. This case warrants attention because of its uniqueness and complexity and, above all, its usefulness in the understanding of the pathophysiology of this particular manner of death.

Case Report of an Autopsy of a Child Who Died in a Drum-Type Washing Machine Tub

“…As the cause of asphyxia, it was reported that drowning was at least partially involved, because the entering of water into the upper airways was inevitable. 2 The cause of death in these two cases was related to asphyxia, but the mechanism of death was different in each case. From the present case and previous reports, it appears that various factors such as asphyxiation, drowning, and trauma can occur as causes of a child's death in drum-type washing machines.…”

“…To our knowledge, there have been few medical reports of accidents in which children have become trapped in drum-type washing machines. 1,2 In previous reports of accidents occurring in small, closed spaces other than washing machine tubs, deaths have been attributed to factors such as hypoxia or hypercapnia caused by oxygen deficiency. [3][4][5][6][7] In a recent report, however, positional asphyxia resulting from cervical hyperflexion was raised as a possible cause of death.…”

Homicide by drowning

“…If the infant was alive, froth may be seen in the water and in the face of the infant. Osculati et al [8] presented an unusual child homicide performed by placing a 7month-old baby in a washing machine and turning it on. The perpetrator was the mother, who suffered from a serious depressive disorder.…”