What Causes a Birth Defect?

It's the last thing an expectant parent wants to hear: Their child could be born with a birth defect. These defects 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 utilized by a health professional to detect certain birth defects that can occur during pregnancy. Other birth defects can be discovered only after the birth of your child, or after symptoms begin to appear.

What caused your child's deformity?

Many birth defects are still undiscovered. There are certain factors which can increase the chances of the mother having a child with a birth defect. Some of these include taking drugs or certain medications prior to becoming pregnant, having a family history of birth defects or having certain medical conditions like rheumatic disease. Women who have an established history of these diseases should consult an expert in genetic counseling about their options before getting pregnant.

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

The majority of birth defects are caused by genes or the environment during the development of the fetus. The risk of having birth defects is reduced by knowing about your family's history of health and genetic issues by speaking to an expert in genetic counseling and following prenatal guidelines.

Structural defects are birth defects that affect the way an area of your body looks or functions. They vary from the obvious like cleft lips and cleft palate to the invisibly, such as metabolic disorders or chromosome disorders. Inherited genetic conditions are one kind of structural birth defect and environmental factors like the lack of folic acid can lead to neural tube defects that can result in the spinal cord and brain not developing properly.

Gather More Evidence than You Think You Can.

There are a variety of medical procedures a pregnant woman can undergo to determine a potential birth defect. One example is amniocentesis, that involves a doctor taking a small sample of fetal fluid for testing. This procedure can reveal chromosomal modifications in addition to other health conditions such as infections (such as rubella or Zika) or genetic disorders.

A doctor can also test a fetus' blood amniotic fluid, fetal blood and the umbilical cord for indications of birth defects. These tests are crucial in finding out the cause of birth defects. They can also help determine how severe a birth defect could be and the effects it could be having on a child's their adulthood.

However certain birth defects could go undetected until a baby is born, or in rare cases, an adult. These problems aren't visible prior to their onset and are sometimes only detected by using diagnostic equipment. In these kinds of cases, it is crucial that the medical expert witness in question is familiar with these techniques and has the correct knowledge to identify such defects. A medical malpractice lawyer with years of experience will be able to determine the best expert for your case.

Employ a Medical Malpractice Attorney

When a child is born with a severe birth defect or suffers a serious birth defect attorney injury, it could completely turn a family's lives upside down. These injuries can create life-long physical and emotional challenges that often require the need for a lifetime of medical treatment.

Medical science can pinpoint the causes of about 30% of birth defect lawsuits defects, many others remain unexplained. Studies have shown that certain chemicals and substances such as those found in prescription or over the counter medications taken by a mother and toxic chemicals found in communities and homes as well as contaminated groundwater and air, can cause birth defects.

Doctors have a duty to assess an expectant mother's current medications, and advise her of any potential dangers to the foetus. If they fail in this duty, they may be held accountable for birth defects caused by medication.

Doctors are also required to determine the safety and efficacy of any equipment or procedure 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 when a doctor uses the equipment improperly or does not calibrate it properly. This would be considered medical malpractice. It is important to contact a medical negligence lawyer immediately when this happens. In some states, you're allowed only one year to file a complaint for medical malpractice and it's recommended to start the process as soon as you can.

Step 1. Step

Birth defects affect 1 of 33 babies born every year, and are a leading cause of infant death. These conditions can be life-threatening and can lead to many long term cognitive, emotional, and physical issues. Scientists have in some cases connected the birth defects' causes in mothers' exposure to prescription or over-the-counter medicines or environmental toxins, as well as maternal infections, complications during the birth and pregnancy and family medical history or genetic illnesses (like sickle cell disease PKU, or other genetic diseases). In about 70% of cases, the reason is unknown.

Certain birth defects are readily evident and can be found at birth or in the first year. Others, like heart defects or developmental and intellectual disabilities are not as easy to identify and require tests that are specific to the condition.

Researchers are trying to figure out the causes of birth defects and how some of they can be prevented. For instance smoking or drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs during pregnancy increase their risk of having a baby with a defect. Women who have a family history of genetic disorders that are passed down through generations may wish to consult a genetic counselor prior to trying to get pregnant. They should also fill out the March of Dimes family health history form to collect data about medical conditions that can be found in their families and then share it with their doctor or genetic counselor.