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Isolation and Individualization of Conceptus and Maternal Tissues from Abortions and Placentas for Parentage Testing in Cases of Rape and Abandoned Newborns *
Author(s) -
Johnson Donald J.,
Matthies Learden K.,
Roberts Katherine A.,
Yorker Beatrice Crofts
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2010.01433.x
Subject(s) - conceptus , obstetrics , fetus , placenta , pregnancy , biology , abortion , medicine , genetics
Abortion specimens are often submitted to forensic laboratories as the only piece of physical evidence in rape and incest cases. The recovery of conceptus tissues from this evidence permits the use of paternity testing to evaluate suspects. In cases of abandoned newborns, the recovery of maternal tissue from the placenta allows for the direct comparison of genetic profiles between the suspected mother and the biological mother. We report on the identification and isolation of conceptus tissues from embryonic‐ and fetal‐period abortions, and maternal tissues from delivered placentas, by gross and low‐magnification examination with manual dissection. Hundreds of single‐source samples have been successfully recovered by this method and short tandem repeat typed using standard forensic procedures. We additionally describe extraembryonic tissues that can be recovered and typed in the absence of the embryo proper. We conclude that an expertise and protocols can be developed by forensic laboratories for the routine analysis of this evidence.