maceration

mac·er·a·tion (ms-rshn)

n.

1. Softening by soaking in a liquid.

2. Softening of the tissues after death by autolysis, especially of a stillborn fetus.

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maceration (ma·s·rāˑ·shn),

n the process in which the skin is softened and broken down by extended exposure to wetness or moisture, as in a postterm infant or a dead fetus because of prolonged exposure to the amniotic fluid.

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maceration

the softening of a solid by soaking. In histology, the softening of a tissue by soaking, especially in acids, until the connective tissue fibers are dissolved so that the tissue components can be teased apart. In obstetrics, the degenerative changes with discoloration and softening of tissues, and eventual disintegration, of a fetus retained in the uterus after its death. In herbal medicine, certain herbs may require cold water to make produce infusions or decoctions if the active ingredient is susceptible to inactivation by heat.

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maceration Obstetrics The sloughing of wads of immature skin from a fetus that died in vivo and wasn't immediately evacuated from the uterus Wound care Generic nastiness of a wound or ulcer which has been wet way too long