What Causes a Birth Defect?

It's the last thing that an expecting parents wants to hear: their child may have a birth defect. These problems are caused by factors that occur during fetal development and can affect your child's mental or physical health.

A doctor can diagnose some birth defect law firm defects in pregnancy through prenatal tests or newborn screening. However other birth defects can not be diagnosed until after your child's birth or when they start to develop symptoms.

What is the cause of your child's deformity?

The cause of many birth defects remains unknown. There are a few factors that increase the chance of being pregnant with a child with birth defect. One of them is taking certain medications or prescription drugs prior to becoming pregnant or having a family history of birth defects or having medical conditions such as rheumatic illness. Women with an ancestry of these disorders are advised to consult an expert in genetic counseling about their options before getting pregnant.

If a birth defect in a baby causes serious problems or not will depend on the body part that is affected and the extent of the body part affected. The more severe a birth defect, the more severe the issues.

Most birth defects are caused either by genetics or the environment during fetal development. You can reduce your risk of developing a birth defect by consulting a genetic counselor or a health professional, gaining knowledge about the history of your family and meeting with an expert in genetics.

Structural defects are birth defects that affect the way a part of your body appears or functions. They may be visible, like cleft lips, cleft palettes, or invisible, like chromosome issues or metabolic disorders. Inherited genetic conditions could be a form of birth defects that are structural. Environmental factors, like the absence of folic acid can cause neural tube defects that lead to the development of the spinal or brain not being correct.

Find More Evidence Than You Think

There are many medical procedures a pregnant mother may undergo to discover more about a possible birth defect. One of them is amniocentesis which involves a healthcare provider taking a small amount of fetal fluid to test. This test can reveal chromosomal changes in addition to other health conditions like infections (such as rubella or Zika) or genetic anomalies.

A doctor can also test a fetus' blood, amniotic fluid and even the tissues of its umbilical cord for signs of birth defects. These tests are crucial to determining the cause of birth defects. They can also determine the severity of a birth defect and its impact on a child's life.

However, some birth defects can go undetected until a baby is born, or in rare instances, when an adult. These issues aren't easily detected prior to their onset and can be detected with equipment for diagnosing. In these kinds of situations, it is essential that the medical expert witness involved is well-versed in these technologies and has the right training to be able to detect these flaws. An experienced medical malpractice lawyer can help you identify the appropriate specialist for your particular case.

Employ a Medical Malpractice Lawyer

A child born with a serious defect or birth injury can completely change the life of families. These injuries can cause long-lasting physical and emotional challenges which often require the need for a lifetime of medical treatment.

Medical science can explain about 30 percent of birth defects however, many other cases are still unsolved. Studies have shown that certain chemicals and substances, like those in prescription or over-the-counter medications that mothers take or children, harmful chemicals in homes and communities or groundwater that is contaminated air can cause birth defect law firms defects.

Doctors are required by law to analyze the medications taken by an expectant mother and inform her of any possible dangers for the fetus. If they fail to perform this duty, they can be held accountable for birth defects caused by medication.

Doctors also have a duty to evaluate the safety of any procedure or equipment they recommend to pregnant women. This includes xray machines, surgical tools, and any other equipment. This could have serious consequences for a newborn baby in the event that a physician uses the equipment in error or does not calibrate it correctly. This would be considered to be malpractice. In the event of this you should contact a medical negligence lawyer as soon as you can. In some states, you're allowed only one year to file a lawsuit for medical malpractice which is why it's important to start the process as soon as you can.

Start with the First Step

Birth defects are the main cause of infant death. They affect one in 33 babies every year. The condition are life-threatening and lead to many long term mental, emotional and physical problems. Researchers have in a few instances 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 or a family medical history or genetic disorders (like sickle cell disease PKU, or other genetic diseases). However, in a majority of all birth defect cases, the causes are unknown.

Certain birth defects, such as clubfoot or hearing loss, are easy to detect and are easily diagnosed either at birth or during the first year of a child's life. Certain birth defects, such as heart defects or intellectual and developmental disabilities require tests specific to determine the cause.

Researchers are working to understand the causes of birth defects and how them may be prevented. For instance women who smoke or drink alcohol or take illegal drugs during pregnancy increase the chances of having a child with certain defects. Women with a family history that involves genetic disorders inherited from their parents may want to consult a genetic counselor prior to trying to get pregnant. They can also use the March of Dimes Family Health History form to collect information on medical conditions that run through their families. This information should be shared with their doctor or genetic counselor.