What Causes a Birth Defect?

It's the last thing any expectant parent wants to hear: Their child may have a birth defect. These defects are caused by factors that occur during the development of the fetus and can affect your child's physical or mental health.

A doctor can detect birth defects during pregnancy using newborn screening or prenatal tests. However, other birth defects may not be diagnosed until after your child's birth or later when they develop symptoms.

What is the reason for your child's defect?

The root of many birth defects is not known. However there are a few things that can increase a woman's risk of having a child born with defects. One of them is taking certain medications or prescription drugs prior to becoming pregnant or having an ancestral history of birth defects, or having certain medical conditions like rheumatic disease. Women with an history of these conditions should talk to a genetic counselor about their options prior getting pregnant.

The severity of a birth defect in a child varies hastings on hudson birth defect law firm the body part affected and how much is affected. The more severe the defect then the more severe the problems will be.

Most Leesburg birth defect law Firm defects are caused through genetics or environmental factors during fetal growth. The risk of having a birth defect can be reduced by gaining knowledge about your family's history of genes and health issues by speaking to a genetic counselor, and following prenatal care guidelines.

Structural birth defects are those that change how a specific part of the body looks or works. They may range from the visible like cleft lips and cleft palate, to the invisible, like chromosome disorders or metabolic conditions. Genetic disorders that are inherited are a kind of structural birth defect while environmental factors such as a lack of folic acid can cause neural tube defects, which cause spinal cord or the brain not developing properly.

Get More Evidence than You Think

There are many medical procedures that a pregnant woman can undergo to find out more about the possibility of a birth defect. Amniocentesis is one of them, that involves a doctor taking a small sample of fetal fluid for analysis. This procedure may reveal chromosomal irregularities and other health conditions such as infections (such as Zika or rubella) or genetic anomalies.

A doctor can also examine the blood of a fetus amniotic fluid, fetal blood and the umbilical cord for indications of birth defects. These tests are essential in determining the causes of birth defects. They also aid in determining how serious a birth defect could be and the effect it may be having on a child's their adult life.

However certain birth defects may remain unnoticed until a child is born or, in rare instances, when an adult. This is because the issues are not readily apparent until they are present, and may only be diagnosed using diagnostic equipment. For these kinds of cases, it is crucial that the medical expert witness involved is well-versed in these technologies and has the right experience to detect these flaws. An experienced medical malpractice lawyer will be able to identify the most suitable expert for your case.

Find a Medical Malpractice Attorney

If a child is born with a severe birth defect or suffers a devastating birth injury, it can completely turn a family's lives upside down. These injuries can lead to permanent physical and mental problems needing medical attention for a lifetime.

Medical science can explain about 30 percent of birth defects However, the majority of cases remain unknown. Studies have shown that certain chemicals and substances may cause birth defects, including those present in prescription or over the counter medication that mothers take as well as the toxic chemicals that play in certain communities and homes, as well as contaminated air and groundwater.

Doctors are required to evaluate the dosage of medication taken by a pregnant mother and inform her of any possible dangers for the baby. If they fail to fulfill this duty, they may be held liable for birth defects that are caused by medications.

Doctors also have a responsibility to evaluate the safety of any procedure or device they recommend for pregnant women. This includes x-ray machines surgical tools, and any other equipment. This could have serious consequences for a baby's health in the event that a physician uses the equipment in a negligent manner or does not calibrate it correctly. This would be considered malpractice. It is crucial to contact a medical negligence lawyer as soon as you can if this happens. In some states, you're given only one year to file a claim for medical malpractice therefore it's best to start the process as soon as possible.

Start with the First Step

Birth defects are the leading cause of infant death. They affect one in 33 babies each year. The condition are life-threatening and cause long-term mental, emotional and physical difficulties. Researchers have in a few instances connected the causes of birth defects in mothers' exposure to prescription or over-the-counter medicines and environmental toxins, complications of motherhood, infections, delivery and pregnancy and medical history of the family, or genetic diseases (like sickle cell disease PKU, sickle cell disease, or other genetic illnesses). In the majority of cases, the cause is unknown.

Certain birth defects, like hearing loss or a clubfoot are easily identifiable and can be detected either at birth or during the first year of a child's life. Others, like heart defects or intellectual and developmental disabilities, aren't as easy to identify and require specialized tests.

Researchers are working to understand what can cause birth defects and how some of them may be prevented. For example women who smoke and drink alcohol or consume illegal drugs during pregnancy increase their chance of having a baby with a defect. Women who have a history of family members with inherited genetic disorders should seek out a genetic counselor prior to trying to get pregnant. They should also utilize 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.