Niddah 45: Death of Infants and Inheritance

The rabbis discuss whether or not a baby take on the inheritance of his mother's belongings if she dies before the infant.  They seem to agree that the baby must be born and alive before its mother dies if such a change will be made.  What if a baby seems to convulse after its mother's birth?  An example is given of a lizard's tail or a human hand, which might continue to twitch after its tail has been removed from its body.  A baby is understood to be reliant on its mother until at least immediately after it has been born.  

One explanation for this is that a developing embryo is fully reliant on its mother for nourishment, oxygen, etc.  If her body is not functioning, then the embryo dies. 

Today's conversation in addition to conversations in Massecht Oholot leads us to better understand origins of organ harvesting when a person has been declared brain dead.