[Post-mortem MRI in newborns when autopsy is not permitted].

2 newborns, boys weighing 1400 and 950 g, died 2 and 8 hours after birth respectively. Autopsy was not permitted but MRI was possible. In the first newborn, characteristic abnormalities ofa Potter's sequence were found: pulmonary hypoplasia, missing kidneys and ureters and a rudimentary bladder. Clinically, a small chest, low-positioned ears, a flattened nose, a retracted chin, contractures of both knees and a talipes equinus of both feet had already been observed. In the second newborn, an MRI scan of the skull revealed a torn cerebellar tentorium with intracranial bleeding. The cause of death in newborns is often unknown. Autopsy is the gold standard for determining the cause of death. However for a variety of reasons, many parents do not give informed consent for autopsy. In such cases, post-mortem MRI may be an alternative. Abnormalities ofthe central nervous system, muscles and internal organs can usually be clearly visualized using MRI. However, the diagnosis of cardiac abnormalities using this technique is more difficult.