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Spalding's sign
System: Pregnancy & Women's Health Signs · All pregnancy & women's health signs
What it is — and how it is elicited
On X-ray (historically) or imaging, the bones of the fetal skull overlap at the sutures because the brain has liquefied after death in the womb.
What a positive finding suggests
Associated with intrauterine fetal death, appearing about a week after death.
◈ Behind the name
Alfred Baker Spalding (1874–1942), American obstetrician.
Related signs — Pregnancy & Women's Health Signs
Browse the S section of the A–Z list or return to the Clinical Signs hub.
Please note: This page is an educational reference about clinical examination signs. A clinical sign supports — and never replaces — a full clinical evaluation, examination and appropriate testing. A sign being present does not by itself prove a diagnosis, and an absent sign does not rule one out. If you have symptoms that worry you, see a health professional.