The child is not born alive until it has been completely
expelled, although it is not necessary that the umbilical cord should
have been cut.
In addition to these tests, live birth may be suspected from the
following conditions: The _stomach_ may contain milk or food, recognized
by the microscope and by Trommer's test for sugar; the _large
intestines_ in stillborn children are filled with meconium, in those
born alive they are usually empty; the _bladder_ is generally emptied
soon after birth; the _skin_ is in a condition of exfoliation soon after
birth. The _organs of circulation_ undergo the following changes after
birth, and the extent to which these changes have advanced will give an
idea of how long the child has lived: The _ductus arteriosus_ begins to
contract within a few seconds of birth; at the end of a week it is about
the size of a crow quill, and about the tenth day is obliterated. The
_umbilical arteries and vein_: the arteries are remarkably diminished in
calibre at the end of twenty-four hours, and obliterated almost up to
the iliacs in three days; the umbilical vein and the ductus venosus are
generally completely contracted by the fifth day.
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