Neonatal line: Importance in Birth Identification

Abstract

Material and method: A total of 5 extracted deciduous teeth were obtained from the Department of Pediatric and Preventive dentistry. The samples selected were unaffected by caries. These were then mounted on self-cure acrylic resin and sectioned in a microtome to a thickness of 0.5mm. The tooth sections were further ground on an Arkansas stone till paper thin. The samples were then placed on a slide and observed under three types of microscopes- Light, Polarized and Stereomicroscope under 4x and 10x magnification. Results: Among the three types of microscopes, it was found that the polarized microscope produced the clearest sharpest images of the Neonatal line. The images formed in the stereomicroscope and the light microscope were less defined. Conclusion: The Neonatal line is an important tool in distinguishing live birth from stillbirth. It can be used in medicolegal cases of female infanticide.