What Causes a Birth Defect?
It’s the last thing an expecting parent would like to hear: their child may be born with a defect. These birth defects are caused by things that occur during the development of the fetus and can affect your child’s mental or physical health.
Prenatal screening and newborn screening can be used by a doctor to detect certain birth defects during pregnancy. Other birth defects may only be detected after the birth of your child or if symptoms start to show.
What is the reason for your child’s defect?
Many birth defects remain undiscovered. However there are a few factors that can increase the likelihood of having a baby with a defect. These include taking prescription drugs or taking certain medications before pregnancy, having a family member who has birth defects or certain medical conditions, like rheumatic heart disease. Women with an history of these conditions should speak with a genetic counselor about their options prior to getting pregnant.
The extent to which a birth defect in a child can cause serious health issues or not will depend on the body part that is affected and how much of the body part affected. Typically, the more severe the defect then the more severe the problem will be.
The majority of birth defects are caused by genetics or the environment during fetal development. The risk of having a birth defect can be reduced by learning about your family’s history of health issues and genes, talking to a genetic counselor and following prenatal guidelines.
Structural defects are birth problems that affect the way a part of your body looks or functions. They may range from the visible like cleft lips and cleft palate, but also the invisible, such as metabolic disorders or chromosome disorder. Genetic diseases that are passed down from generation to generation are a kind of structural salamanca birth defect law firm defect while environmental factors, such as the lack of folic acid can lead to neural tube defects, which cause spinal cord or brain not developing correctly.
Gather More Evidence Than You Think You Can.
There are many medical procedures that a pregnant woman may undergo to find out more about the possibility of birth defects. Amniocentesis is one example, where a healthcare provider takes small amounts of fluid from the fetus to conduct analysis. This procedure can reveal chromosomal defects as well as other health conditions such as infections (such as Zika or rubella) or genetic anomalies.
A doctor can test the amniotic liquid, blood and fetus’s tissues for signs of birth defect. These tests are crucial in finding out the cause of birth defects. They can also determine the extent of the birth defect and the impact it has on the adult life of a child.
However, some birth defects can remain unnoticed until a child is born or, in rare cases, as an adult. These conditions aren’t readily apparent when they occur and can be detected through diagnostic equipment. In these cases the medical expert witness must be knowledgeable with the techniques and the knowledge and experience required to recognize the defects. An experienced medical malpractice lawyer can help you identify the most suitable expert for your case.
Find an attorney who specializes in medical malpractice
When a child is born with a severe birth defect or suffers a devastating birth injury, it can completely turn a family’s life upside down. These injuries can lead to long-term physical and mental issues needing medical attention for the rest of his life.
While medical science is able to pinpoint the underlying causes behind about 30 percent of birth defects, many others remain a mystery. Research has proven that certain chemicals and substances can cause birth defects, for example those that are found in prescription or over-the counter medication that mothers take or the toxic chemicals at work in some communities and homes, or in contaminated groundwater and air.
Doctors are required by law to analyze the medication taken by a pregnant mother and inform her of any possible risks to the baby. If they fail to fulfill this duty, they may be held liable for birth defects caused by medication.
Doctors also have a duty to examine the safety of any procedure or device they recommend for pregnant women. This includes x-ray equipment, surgical instruments, and other equipment. It could be a serious risk for a newborn baby in the event that a physician uses the equipment improperly or does not calibrate it correctly. This is considered medical malpractice. In the event of this it is important to contact a medical negligence lawyer as soon as you can. In certain states, you are only allowed one year to file a medical negligence case, so the sooner you begin the process, the better.
Start with the First Step
new paltz birth defect lawyer defects affect 1 of 33 babies born every year, and are the most common cause of infant death. These conditions can be life-threatening and can cause long-term cognitive, emotional, and physical difficulties. Scientists have in a few cases connected the causes of birth defects in mothers’ exposure to prescription and over-the-counter medications or environmental toxins, as well as complications of motherhood, infections, pregnancy and delivery and medical history of the family, or genetic diseases (like sickle cell disease PKU, or other genetic diseases). However, in the majority of all Republic Birth Defect Lawsuit defect cases the cause is unknown.
Certain birth defects are easily noticeable and can be detected at birth or in the first year of life. Other birth defects, such as heart defects or intellectual and developmental disabilities aren’t as obvious and require specialized tests.
Researchers are working to understand the causes of birth defects and how some of they can be prevented. Women who drink, smoke or use illegal drugs while pregnant are more likely to having a child born with certain defects. Women with an inherited family history of genetic disorders should think about seeing a genetic counselor before trying to become pregnant. They may also use the March of Dimes Family Health History form to collect information about medical conditions that run through their families. This information should be shared with their doctor or genetic counselor.