What Causes a Birth Defect?

The last thing a new parent wants to hear is that their child might be born with a deformity. These problems are caused by the things that happen during the fetal stage and could affect your child's mental or physical health.

Prenatal screening and newborn screening can be used by a doctor to identify certain birth defects during pregnancy. However other birth defects can not be diagnosed until after your child is born or a few years later when they show symptoms.

What caused your child's asymmetry?

Many birth defects are still undiscovered. However there are a few factors that can increase the likelihood of having a baby with defects. One of them is taking drugs or certain medications before getting pregnant, having an ancestral history of birth defect law firms (company website) defects or having medical conditions such as rheumatic illness. Women with a history of these disorders should consult a genetic counselor about their options prior to getting pregnant.

The degree to which a birth defect causes serious issues or not will depend on the body part that is affected and how much of the body part is affected. The more severe the birth defect the more serious the problems.

The majority of birth defects are caused by genetics or the environment during fetal growth. The chance of developing a birth defect can be decreased by educating yourself about your family's history of genes and health issues by speaking to an expert in genetic counseling and following the guidelines for prenatal care.

Structural defects are birth defects that affect the way a part of your body appears or performs. They may be visible like cleft lips, Cleft palettes, or they can be invisible, like chromosome issues or metabolic conditions. Inherited genetic conditions are one kind of structural birth defect, while environmental factors such as the lack of folic acid can cause neural tube defects that cause spinal cord or brain not developing correctly.

Find More Evidence Than You Think You Can.

There are many medical procedures a pregnant woman can undergo to learn more about a potential birth defect. One of these is amniocentesis that involves a doctor taking a small sample of fetal fluid to test. This test can reveal chromosomal modifications, as well as other health conditions such as infections (such as rubella or Zika) or genetic anomalies.

A doctor can also test the blood of a fetus or amniotic fluid as well as the tissues of its umbilical cord for indications of birth defects. These tests are crucial in determining the causes of birth defects. They also aid in determining how serious a birth defect could be and the impact it will affect a child later in the years to come.

Certain birth defects may not be discovered at the time of birth or, in some rare cases even after becoming an adult. This is due to the fact that these problems are not easily identified until they are present and may only be identified with the use of diagnostic equipment. For these kinds of cases, it is critical that the medical expert witness is knowledgeable about these technologies and has the appropriate knowledge to identify such defects. A seasoned medical malpractice lawyer is able to determine the right expert for your particular case.

Hire a Medical Malpractice Lawyer

A child born with a serious defect or a serious birth injury could completely alter the life of the family. These injuries can cause lifelong physical and mental challenges, requiring medical care for the rest of their lives.

Medical science is able to explain approximately 30% of birth defect cases but the rest remain unsolved. Research has proven that certain chemicals and substances may cause birth defects, for example those present in prescription or over the counter medicines that mothers are prescribed and the harmful chemicals that the heart of some communities and homes, as well as contaminated air and groundwater.

Doctors have a duty to evaluate the mother's current medications and inform her of any possible risks for the foetus. When they fail in this obligation, they can be held liable for birth defects caused by medication.

Doctors also have the responsibility to evaluate the safety of any procedure or device they recommend for pregnant women. This includes x-ray instruments, surgical instruments and other equipment. If a doctor is negligent in using the equipment or fails properly calibrate the equipment, it could lead to grave consequences for the baby. This is considered medical malpractice. It's important to speak with a medical malpractice lawyer as soon as you can when this happens. In some states you have only one year to file a complaint for medical malpractice and it's recommended to begin the process as soon as possible.

Take the First Step

Birth defects affect 1 out of 33 newborns each year and are a major reason for infant death. These issues can be life-threatening and can result in long-term physical, cognitive and emotional problems. Researchers have in a few instances identified the birth defect attorney defects' causes to the mother's exposures to prescription and over-the-counter medications as well as environmental toxins, maternal infections, complications during delivery and pregnancy and medical history of the family, or genetic disorders (like sickle cell disease PKU, sickle cell disease, or other genetic diseases). In the majority of cases, the cause is not known.

Some birth defects are easily noticeable and can be detected either at birth or during the first year. Some birth defects, like heart defects, intellectual and developmental disabilities require specific tests to determine the cause.

Researchers are trying to discover what causes birth defects and how they can be prevented. Women who smoke, drink or consume illegal substances while pregnant are at a higher risk of having a child with certain defects. Women with a family history of inheritance genetic disorders should consider seeing a genetic counselor before trying to become pregnant. They should also utilize the March of Dimes family health record form to gather information about medical conditions that run in their families and share it with their doctor or a genetic counselor.