Pulseless electrical activity (PEA) detected in a newborn infant's heart after complete separation from the mother is sufficient to constitute a 'sign of life' for the purposes of the born alive rule, even in the absence of any other recognised sign of life such as breathing, heartbeat, pulse, movement or crying. The indicia of life are not confined to those recognised in earlier cases; advances in medical science and technology may be used to detect and establish signs of independent life. The jurisdiction of the Coroner's Court should be construed broadly, and the expression 'death of a person' in the definition of 'reportable death' should not be given a narrow meaning.
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