An Unusual Ectopia Cordis in a Human Stillborn Infant **

A stillborn female with multiple malformations had an unusual ectopia cordis unlike any that have been described insofar as the writer has been able to ascertain. The 39-year-old mother, whose four previous pregnancies resulted in miscarriage, was in good physical condition. Although there was moderate enlargement of her abdomen and no menses for seven months, the mother was not aware that she was pregnant until the onset of sudden, severe uterine contractions every 3 minutes of 40 seconds' duration. Upon hospital admission there was no fetal heartbeat. At the onset of labor, which lasted 11 hours and 58 minutes, the fetus was in a breech position. The membranes ruptured spontaneously, and frank bleeding occurred 55 minutes before delivery which was before full cervical dilatation. At delivery the fetus was still in a breech position with its sacrum directed toward the right acetabulum of the mother. Ectopic abdominal viscera were presented first, followed by the feet. This was the first indication of an anomalous offspring. Most of the placenta was delivered with the head to which it was attached. Episiotomy was unnecessary. The stillborn and attached portion of the placenta weighed 1 pound, 13% ounces. The postpartum history of the mother was normal. A midline defect in the anterior trunk wall extended from the umbilical region of the abdomen to the root of the neck where superficial extensions continued laterally to the sides of the neck (Figs. 1-2). The abdominal cavity proper was small and contained only the abdominal esophagus, an elongated gastric cardia, the portion of the colon which would normally * Assistant Professor of Anatomy.