The “lung float” test claims to help determine if a baby was born alive or dead, but many medical examiners say it’s too unreliable

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The Big Story
Sat. Oct 7, 2023

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A Lab Test That Experts Liken to a Witch Trial Is Helping Send Women to Prison for Murder <[link removed]> The “lung float” test claims to help determine if a baby was born alive or dead, but many medical examiners say it’s too unreliable. Yet the test is still being used to bring murder charges — and get convictions. by Duaa Eldeib

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What You Need to Know About Stillbirths <[link removed]> We spoke to dozens of parents and medical experts about what causes stillbirths, whether there are warning signs to look for during pregnancy, and what your options are if you experience a stillbirth. by Adriana Gallardo and Duaa Eldeib <[link removed]>

Her Child Was Stillborn at 39 Weeks. She Blames a System That Doesn’t Always Listen to Mothers. <[link removed]> Every year more than 20,000 pregnancies in the U.S. result in a stillbirth, but not all of these tragedies were inevitable. As many as one in four stillbirths are potentially preventable. by Duaa Eldeib <[link removed]>

“God, No, Not Another Case.” COVID-Related Stillbirths Didn’t Have to Happen. <[link removed]> A lack of testing data and government guidance led many to avoid the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy, unwittingly increasing their chances of a stillbirth. by Duaa Eldeib <[link removed]>

After a Stillbirth, an Autopsy Can Provide Answers. Too Few of Them Are Being Performed. <[link removed]> One in three stillbirths goes unexplained, leaving parents desperate for information. Many doctors don’t perform autopsies or tests that could offer insight, while some patients decide against them without fully understanding the potential benefits. by Duaa Eldeib <[link removed]>

She Says Doctors Ignored Her Concerns About Her Pregnancy. For Many Black Women, It’s a Familiar Story. <[link removed]> Black women in America are more than twice as likely as white women to have a stillbirth. Getting physicians to take their concerns seriously is one reason for this disparity, they say: “If you’re a Black woman, you get dismissed.” by Duaa Eldeib <[link removed]>

Lawmakers Propose $45 Million in New Funding for Measures to Lower U.S. Stillbirth Rate <[link removed]> The legislation seeks to improve data and research, as well as develop stillbirth awareness materials. Many women interviewed by ProPublica said they didn’t know they were at risk until they delivered their stillborn baby. by Duaa Eldeib <[link removed]>

How Misinformation About COVID Vaccines and Pregnancy Took Root Early On and Why It Won’t Go Away <[link removed]> Before coronavirus vaccines were even released, a disinformation campaign used a moment of national and personal vulnerability to prey on those who were pregnant or who planned to become pregnant. by Duaa Eldeib <[link removed]>

More From Our Newsroom

Senator Calls for DOJ Action Against Philips for Keeping CPAP Machine Complaints Secret <[link removed]> The FDA also said it is “unsatisfied” with the company’s response to the crisis. Share prices dropped in early trading. by Jonathan D. Salant and Michael D. Sallah, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Haajrah Gilani, Medill Investigative Lab; and Debbie Cenziper, ProPublica <[link removed]>

We Don’t Talk About Leonard <[link removed]> The conservative legal movement in the United States is more powerful than ever. One largely unknown man has played a significant role in pushing the American judiciary to the right: Leonard Leo. by Andrea Bernstein, Andy Kroll, Ilya Marritz <[link removed]>

It’s Not Personal: Why Clarence Thomas’ Trip to the Koch Summit Undermines His Ethics Defense <[link removed]> Even by Thomas’ own permissive interpretation, the justice’s recently revealed travel to Palm Springs and the Bohemian Grove appear to violate the disclosure law, experts explained. by Justin Elliott, Joshua Kaplan and Alex Mierjeski <[link removed]>

Southeast Asian Casinos Emerge as Major Enablers of Global Cybercrime <[link removed]> A growing number of casinos in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are engaging in large-scale money laundering, facilitating cyberfraud that is costing victims in America and abroad billions of dollars, according to new research by the United Nations. by Cezary Podkul <[link removed]>

Louisiana Supreme Court Ruling Overturns Reform Law Intended to Fix “Three-Strikes” Sentences <[link removed]> The ruling was a victory for state attorney general, Jeff Landry, but defense attorneys say it could also help their clients’ requests for reduced sentences. by Richard A. Webster, Verite News <[link removed]>

How a Big Pharma Company Stalled a Potentially Lifesaving Vaccine in Pursuit of Bigger Profits <[link removed]> A vaccine against tuberculosis, the world’s deadliest infectious disease, has never been closer to reality, with the potential to save millions of lives. But its development slowed after its corporate owner focused on more profitable vaccines. by Anna Maria Barry-Jester <[link removed]>

Idaho Banned Abortion. Then It Turned Down Supports for Pregnancies and Births. <[link removed]> Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, the state’s GOP-led Legislature has disbanded a maternal mortality committee, failed to expand postpartum Medicaid coverage and turned down federal grants for child care. by Audrey Dutton <[link removed]>

Virginia Law Allows the Papers of University Presidents to Stay Secret, Limiting Public Oversight <[link removed]> A provision in state law exempts college presidents’ “working papers and correspondence” from disclosure even after they step down — as we found out when we asked about one ex-president’s role in campus expansions that uprooted a Black neighborhood. by Brandi Kellam, Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO, and Gabriel Sandoval, ProPublica <[link removed]>

“A Setup for Disaster”: California Legislation Requiring Companies to Pay for Oil and Gas Well Cleanup in Limbo <[link removed]> The bill, which awaits a decision by Gov. Gavin Newsom, follows ProPublica’s reporting on the multibillion-dollar cost to clean up California’s oil and gas industry and the exodus of major companies shifting ownership of thousands of aging wells. by Mark Olalde <[link removed]>

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