Implementation of pediatric and fetal postmortem imaging into clinical practice: a multi-society statement from the ESPR, SPR, SLARP, AOSPR, WFPI, and IAFR

Postmortem imaging (PMI) following fetal, perinatal, and pediatric demise is increasingly requested and used in clinical practice, either as a non-invasive adjunct or alternative to conventional autopsy. Use of such techniques in clinical departments may face numerous barriers and challenges, varying between centers, countries, and continents, influenced by differences in healthcare systems, funding sources, and local regulations. Furthermore, different issues arise for each specific indication of pediatric PMI (such as intra-uterine demise, termination of pregnancy for confirmation of anatomical abnormalities, and forensic investigations of infants and childhood deaths) since the processes, goals of the investigation, and involved teams vary with indication and/or resource setting. This multi-society position statement describes how different countries currently deal with those challenges, and proposes universal consensus recommendations, enablers, and practical tips to facilitate the successful implementation of fetal and pediatric PMI across medical imaging departments. Implementation to a minimum standard will help resource allocation, collaboration between centers, and multi-center studies in a new field where patient data is scarce.