Spalding's sign is a sign used in obstetrics. It is named for Alfred Baker Spalding.A. B. Spalding. A pathogonomic sign of intra-uterine death. Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Chicago, 1922, 34: 754.
It is an indicator of fetal death. When fetal death has occurred loss of alignment and overriding of the bones of cranial vault occur due to shrinkage of cerebrum, abdominal sonar examination may reveal an overriding of the fetal cranial bones.Olds' Maternal-Newborn Nursing, 8th edition, p. 1136 Most estimates place the precise time of fetal death at about 4–7 days before overlapping and separation of the fetal skull bones appear.S. A. Journal of Radiology, March 1964, OVERLAPPING OF THE FOETAL SKULL BONES IN BREECH PRESENTATION L. C. HANDLER, Department of Radiodiagnosis, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town
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