What Causes a Birth Defect?

The last thing a new parent would like to hear is that their child could have a birth defect. These problems may be caused by a variety of things that happen during the fetal development and can affect the physical or mental health of your child.

A health care provider can diagnose some birth defects in pregnancy through the prenatal test or newborn screening. Other birth defects could only be detected after the birth of your child, or after symptoms begin to appear.

What was the cause of your child's error?

Many birth defects remain unknown. However there are several factors that can increase the likelihood of having a baby with defects. These include using prescription drugs or taking certain medications prior to pregnancy, a history of having a family member that has a birth defect or having certain medical conditions, for instance rheumatic heart disease. Women who have a history of these disorders should speak with an expert on genetic counseling about their options prior getting pregnant.

The extent to which a birth defect in a child can cause serious health issues or not will depend on which body part is affected and the extent of the body part affected. Usually, the more severe the defect then the more severe the issues will be.

Most birth defects are caused by genetics or the environment during the fetal growth. You can lower the risk of a birth deformity by consulting a genetic counselor, learning about the health history of your family and having a conversation with a geneticist.

Structural defects are birth imperfections that affect how an element of your body appears or functions. They can range from visible, such as cleft lip and cleft palate to the invisibly, such as metabolic disorders or chromosome disorders. Genetically-inherited conditions can result in structural birth defects. Environmental factors, like the lack of folic acids, can cause neural tube defects that lead to the development of the spinal cord or brain not working as intended.

Gather More Evidence than You Think You Can.

There are a variety of medical procedures a pregnant woman can undergo to determine the possibility of a birth defect. One of them is amniocentesis which entails a doctor taking a small sample of fetal fluid for testing. This test could reveal chromosomal variations in addition to other health conditions, such as infections (such as rubella or Zika) or genetic abnormalities.

A doctor can test the blood, amniotic liquid and the tissues of a fetus to determine if there are signs of birth defect. These tests are essential in determining the root of birth defects. They also aid in determining how serious a birth defect could be and the consequences it could affect a child later in their adult life.

However certain birth defects could go undetected until a baby is born or, in rare instances, even as an adult. These conditions are not detectable when they first appear and are usually only detected by using equipment for diagnosing. In these kinds of cases, it is critical that the medical expert witness is familiar with these technologies and has the appropriate experience to detect these flaws. A lawyer who has years of experience will be able to determine the appropriate expert for your case.

Hire a Medical Malpractice Lawyer

If a child is born with a severe birth defect or suffers from a severe birth injury, it could completely turn a family's life upside down. These injuries can cause long-lasting physical and emotional issues that often require ongoing medical treatment.

While medical science can identify the causes of about 30 percent of birth defects, others remain a mystery. Research has proven that certain chemicals and substances can cause birth defects, like those present in prescription or over the counter medications a mother takes, the toxic chemicals at work in some communities and homes, or contaminated air and groundwater.

Doctors are required to evaluate the mother's current medications and advise her of any potential dangers to the baby. If they fail to fulfill this duty, they can be held accountable for birth defects that are caused by medications.

Doctors also have a responsibility to determine the safety of any procedure or device they recommend for pregnant women. This includes x-ray instruments, surgical instruments and other equipment. This could have serious consequences for a newborn baby when a doctor uses the equipment in a negligent manner or fails to calibrate it correctly. This would be considered medical malpractice. It's important to get in touch with a medical malfeasance lawyer immediately when this happens. In certain states, you have only one year to file a complaint for medical malpractice which is why it's important to start the process as soon as possible.

Start with the First Step

Birth defects are the main cause of infant death. They affect one in 33 babies each year. These conditions could be life-threatening, and can trigger long-term physical, mental and emotional problems. In a few instances, scientists have identified the cause to be a mother's exposure to prescription and over-the-counter medicines, toxins that are found in the environment as well as maternal infections, complications associated with pregnancy and birth or a family medical history (like genetic illnesses like sickle cell diseases or PKU). However, in approximately 70% of Rock hill Birth defect lawsuit defects cases the cause is not known.

Certain birth defects are easily visible and can be detected at birth or within the first year. Other conditions, such as heart defects or intellectual and developmental disabilities are not as easily identifiable and require tests of a different kind.

Researchers are attempting to determine the causes of coalinga birth defect attorney defects and how them may be prevented. For instance women who smoke or drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs during pregnancy increase the chances of having a child with a defect. Women with a family history of inheritance genetic disorders should consider seeing a genetic counselor before trying to become pregnant. They should also use the March of Dimes family health history form to collect data about medical conditions that run in their families and then share it with their doctor or a genetic counselor.