Sex, Parity, and Scars: A Meta‐analytic Review

The ability to identify whether a female has been pregnant or has given birth has significant implications for forensic investigations and bioarcheological research. The meaning of “scars of parturition,” their causes, and their significance are a matter of contention, with a substantial literature...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of forensic sciences 2018-01, Vol.63 (1), p.201-206
Main Authors: McFadden, Clare, Oxenham, Marc F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cicatrix - pathology
Female
Forensic Anthropology
Forensic engineering
forensic science
Humans
Meta-analysis
Parity
parity estimation
Parturition
Pelvic Bones - pathology
Pregnancy
Scars
Sex
Sex Determination by Skeleton - methods
sex estimation
Test procedures
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Summary:The ability to identify whether a female has been pregnant or has given birth has significant implications for forensic investigations and bioarcheological research. The meaning of “scars of parturition,” their causes, and their significance are a matter of contention, with a substantial literature of re‐evaluations and tests of the relationship between pelvic scarring and parity. The aim of this study was to use meta‐analytic techniques (the methodological approach) to test whether pelvic scarring, namely dorsal pubic pitting and the preauricular groove, is a predictor of parity and sex. Meta‐analyses indicated that neither dorsal pubic pitting nor the preauricular groove are predictors of parity status, while dorsal pubic pitting is a moderate predictor of sex. A weak relationship between dorsal pubic pitting and parity was identified, but this is believed to be a product of the moderate relationship with sex. This calls into question whether any causal relationship between parity and pelvic scarring exists.
ISSN:0022-1198
1556-4029
DOI:10.1111/1556-4029.13478