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What Causes a Birth Defect?

The last thing that any expecting parent would like to hear is that their child could have a birth 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.

Testing for prenatal and newborns can be used by a health care provider to identify certain birth defects during pregnancy. However, other birth defects may not be discovered until after your child's birth defect attorney or a few years later when they show symptoms.

What Caused Your Child's Defect?

Many birth defects are not known. There are certain factors which can increase the chances of pregnant women having children with a birth defect. These include using prescription drugs or taking certain medications before pregnancy, having a family member that has birth defects or certain medical conditions, like rheumatic heart disease. Women with an established history of these diseases are advised to consult an expert in genetic counseling about their options before getting pregnant.

The severity of a birth defect in a child depends on the body part affected and how severe the damage. The more severe the birth defect, the more serious the issues.

Most birth defects are caused either by genes or the environment during fetal development. You can lessen the risk of having a birth defect by talking to a genetic counsellor, learning about the health background of your family, and having a conversation with geneticists.

Structural birth imperfections are those that alter how a particular part of the body looks or works. They vary from the obvious such as cleft lips and cleft palate to the invisible, like chromosome disorders or metabolic conditions. Genetic disorders that are inherited can be a type of structural birth defects. Environmental factors, like an absence of folic acid can cause neural tube defects, which result in the development of the spinal cord or brain not functioning properly.

Find More Evidence Than You Think

There are several medical procedures pregnant women can undergo to determine potential birth defects. One of them is amniocentesis which involves a medical professional taking a small sample of the fetal fluid to be tested. This procedure could reveal chromosomal variations as well as other health conditions like infections (such as rubella or Zika) or genetic abnormalities.

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

However, some birth defects can be missed until a baby is born, or in rare instances, when an adult. These issues aren't easily detected when they occur and are usually only detected through equipment for diagnosing. For these kinds of cases, it's crucial that the medical expert witness involved is knowledgeable about these technologies and has the correct experience to detect these flaws. An experienced medical malpractice lawyer should be able to identify the most appropriate expert for your particular case.

Employ an attorney for Medical Malpractice

A child born with a severe defect or severe birth injury could completely alter the life of a family. These injuries can cause lasting physical and mental health challenges that require medical attention for a lifetime.

Although medical science has been able to identify the causes of 30% of birth defects others remain unexplained. Research has proven that certain chemicals and substances may cause birth defects, such as those found in prescription or over-the-counter medicines that mothers are prescribed, the toxic chemicals at the heart of some communities and homes, as well as contaminated groundwater and air.

Doctors are required to assess the dosage of medication taken by an expectant mother and inform her of any possible dangers for the embryo. If they fail to perform this obligation, they could be held responsible for birth defects caused by medications.

Doctors are also required to determine the safety of any procedure or equipment they recommend to pregnant women. This includes x-ray equipment, surgical instruments and other equipment. This could result in serious consequences for a baby's health if a doctor uses the equipment in error or does not calibrate it properly. This would be considered to be malpractice. If this occurs it's crucial to seek out a medical malpractice lawyer as soon as you can. In some states, you're only given a single year to file a medical negligence case, so the sooner you start the process, the more favorable.

Start with the First Step

Birth defects are the most common reason for infant deaths. They affect one in 33 babies every year. These issues are life-threatening, and can trigger permanent physical, cognitive and emotional difficulties. In a few instances, scientists have connected the causes to mother's exposure to prescription and over-the-counter medications, toxins found in the environment, maternal infections, complications of pregnancy and delivery or a medical history of the family (like genetic diseases, sickle cell disease or PKU). However, in the majority of all birth defects the cause is unknown.

Certain birth defects are readily noticeable and can be detected at birth defect attorney or in the first year of life. Others, like heart defects or developmental and intellectual disabilities, aren't as obvious and require tests of a different kind.

Researchers are trying to figure out the causes of birth defects and how them can be prevented. For instance, women who smoke and drink alcohol or consume illegal drugs during pregnancy increase the likelihood of having a child with certain defects. Women who have a family history of inheritance genetic disorders should think about seeing a genetic counselor before trying to become pregnant. They could also use the March of Dimes Family Health Form to collect information regarding medical conditions that are prevalent through their families. This information should be shared with their doctor or genetic counselor.