What Causes a Birth Defect?

The last thing any expecting parent would like to learn is that their child might have a birth defect. These defects may be caused by a variety of the pregnancy and can impact the mental or physical health of your child.

Prenatal screening and newborn screening can be utilized by a healthcare professional to identify certain birth defects during pregnancy. However other birth defects might not be identified until after the baby is born or when they start to develop symptoms.

What is the cause of your child's deformity?

The causes of many birth defects remains unknown. There are certain factors that increase the chance of pregnant women having children with birth defect. One of them is taking drugs or certain medications prior to conception, having a family history of birth defects or having certain medical conditions such as rheumatic illness. Women with a family history of these diseases are advised to speak with a genetic counsellor before becoming pregnant.

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

The majority of birth defects are caused through genetics or environmental factors during fetal development. You can lower the risk of having a birth defect by consulting a genetic counselor or a health professional, gaining knowledge about the history of your family and having a conversation with the geneticist.

Structural defects are birth imperfections that affect how a part of your body looks or performs. They can be visible, like cleft lips, Cleft palettes, or they can be invisible, such as chromosome disorders or metabolic disorders. Genetic conditions that are passed down through the generations are one type of structural birth defect while environmental factors like an absence of folic acids can cause neural tube defects, which result in the brain or spinal cord not developing properly.

Find More Evidence Than You Think You Can.

There are a variety of medical procedures that pregnant mothers may undergo to learn more about the possibility of a birth defect. One of these is amniocentesis which involves a medical professional taking a small sample of fetal fluid for analysis. This test could reveal chromosomal anomalies as well as other health conditions like infections (such as Zika or rubella) or genetic anomalies.

A doctor can test the amniotic liquid, blood and fetus's tissues for signs of birth defect. These tests are essential to determining the cause of a birth defect. They also aid in determining the severity of the Birth Defect Attorney defect is and the consequences it could have on a child in his or her adult life.

However certain birth defects could go undetected until a baby is born, or in rare cases, as an adult. These conditions aren't readily apparent when they first appear and can be detected through diagnostic equipment. In these instances, the medical expert witness must be familiar with the technologies and have the knowledge and experience required to be able to spot these defects. An experienced medical malpractice attorney is able to determine the most appropriate expert for your case.

Find an attorney for Medical Malpractice

A child born with a serious defect or a serious birth injury can drastically alter the life of families. These injuries can cause long-lasting physical and psychological challenges which often require a lifetime of medical care.

Medical science may explain around 30 percent of birth defect lawyers defects, but many others remain unsolved. Research has shown certain chemicals and substances, like those in prescription or over the counter medications taken by a mother or children, harmful chemicals in communities and homes or in groundwater that has been contaminated with air may cause birth defects.

Doctors are required to assess an expectant mother's current medications and advise her of any possible risks to the fetus. If they fail to fulfill this obligation, they could be held responsible for birth defects that are caused by medication.

Doctors also have a duty to examine the safety of any procedure or device they recommend to pregnant women. This includes x-ray machines surgical tools, as well as other equipment. This could result in serious consequences for a baby should a doctor use the equipment negligently or fails to calibrate it correctly. This is considered medical malpractice. If this happens it is important to speak with a medical malpractice attorney as soon as you can. In certain states, you're only given one year to file a medical malpractice case, so the earlier you start the process, the better.

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Birth defects are the leading cause of infant deaths. They affect one in 33 babies each year. These issues could be life-threatening, and they can cause long-term physical, cognitive and emotional challenges. Researchers have in a few instances linked the causes of birth defects to the mother's exposures to prescription and over-the-counter medications or environmental toxins, as well as complications of motherhood, infections, pregnancy and birth and medical history of the family, or genetic diseases (like sickle cell disease, PKU, or genetic illnesses). However, in the majority of all birth defect lawyer defect cases the causes are not clear.

Certain birth defects are easily visible and can be detected at birth or within the first year of life. Certain birth defects, such as heart defects, intellectual and developmental disabilities require special tests to detect.

Researchers are trying determine what causes birth defects and how they can be avoided. Women who drink, smoke or take illegal drugs while pregnant are more likely to having a child born with certain defects. Women who have a family history of inheritance genetic disorders should consult a genetic counselor prior to trying to become pregnant. They should also use the March of Dimes family health history form to collect information regarding medical conditions that run in their families and provide it to their doctor or a genetic counselor.