Can a scan replace an autopsy for grieving parents? New research shows promise for detecting heart problems in stillborn babies.

When a baby dies before or shortly after birth, parents are often faced with a heartbreaking choice: consent to a full autopsy to find out why, or decline and live with unanswered questions. A new review of existing research looked at whether a special MRI scan performed after death could be a less invasive alternative for finding heart problems. The analysis combined data from 12 studies involving over 1,800 babies. The results show this post-mortem MRI is very good at correctly identifying babies who do not have a heart problem, with 96% accuracy. It's moderately good at finding those who do have a problem, catching about 76% of cases. This means it's a reliable tool for ruling out heart issues, but it might miss some. The scan worked slightly better for larger babies and when using more powerful MRI machines. The researchers conclude that while this scan isn't perfect, it could be a valuable, less invasive option to offer grieving families alongside or instead of a traditional autopsy, especially when looking for heart defects. They call for more standardized procedures to make it more reliable.