In the investigation of perinatal death, examination of the lung reveals much information about the normality of its development, fetal maturity and both pre- and postnatal disease processes. Since the advent and widespread acceptance of intensive care for the sick neonate, few liveborn babies who die in the perinatal period or early infancy reach the post-mortem room without signs of iatrogenic pathology related to neonatal management. It is essential to have a clear understanding of the development of the respiratory system and how it reacts to both intra- and extrauterine influences, as well as knowledge of modern methods of resuscitation and their accompanying pathology.