Neonatal Deaths, Infanticide, and the Hydrostatic (Floatation) Test: Historical Perspectives

Abstract

The hydrostatic test, or floatation test, has historically been used to determine whether a newborn infant has breathed. It is performed by placing the lungs, still attached to the heart, in water and seeing whether they float. The test can then be repeated with the lungs separated and on individual pieces of dissected lung. The test has been described in great detail by some authors and has also been subject to significant criticism for at least 250 years. This paper reviews the history of the test and the challenges that have been made to its validity in forensic pathology texts from the 18th to the 21st century.