[Histonet] Re: fetal demise under 20 wks

[Jackie M O'Connor]

You local chapter of Catholic Charities will collect the fetuses and 
provide burial - regardless of where they come from.





"O'Donnell, Bill" <billodonnell <@t> catholichealth.net> 
Sent by: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
01/05/2009 12:58 PM

To
"Robert Richmond" <RSRICHMOND <@t> aol.com>, histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
cc

Subject
RE: [Histonet] Re: fetal demise under 20 wks






Concerning disposal. Many (most) funeral homes are willing to do a
cremation of remains, remaining respectful of the remains and keeping
the consciences of any that might be sensitive in these matters clear.
They will likely do so in "groups".

I'll be refraining from using inflamatory remarks concerning those who
both oppose and support abortion rights by less-than-orthodox methods.
It twould be good to see the same in future posts.

William (Bill) O'Donnell, HT (ASCP) QIHC 
Lead Histologist
Good Samaritan Hospital
10 East 31st Street
Kearney, NE 68847 


-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Robert
Richmond
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2009 12:41 PM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] Re: fetal demise under 20 wks

Jessica Vacca in Brandon FL asks: >>Are there any facilities that do not
perform a gross and micro on a fetus less than 20 wks, if mom wishes to
bury it? Do you have a policy that states this and are you willing to
share? Does mom sign a form stating that she does not wish for pathology
to be done?<<

In a situation like this, the placenta needs to be examined both grossly
and microscopically, but the fetus generally does not. Most pathology
labs are not equipped to do an autopsy on a fetus this size, and most
pathologists (definitely including me) are not trained to do this kind
of autopsy. Most of the services I've worked on do not routinely dissect
the fetus.

Certainly, before I'd undertake any such autopsy, I'd want to make sure
that a funeral wasn't planned. Believe or not, open casket funerals for
fetuses are not unusual.

By the way, if you do dispose of a fetus, do so with great care, and
make sure that all identification is removed from it before final
disposal. Anti-abortion crazies have sometimes used this information to
harass the bereaved mother, as if she'd had the pregnancy aborted.
(This isn't an urban legend - I can supply a reference.)

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Knoxville TN

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