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What Causes a Birth Defect?

The last thing that any expecting parent wants to learn is that their child might have a birth deformity. These birth defects are caused by the things that happen during fetal development and can affect your child's physical or mental health.

A health care provider can diagnose some birth defects in pregnancy through newborn screening or prenatal tests. However, other birth defects may not be diagnosed until after the baby is born or a few years later when they show symptoms.

What Caused Your Child's Defect?

Many birth defects are still undiscovered. There are a few factors that increase the chance of the mother having a child with a clearfield birth defect attorney defect. These include using drugs or taking certain medications prior to pregnancy, having a family member with an abnormal North Caldwell birth defect attorney or certain medical conditions, for instance rheumatic heart disease. Women with an ancestry of these disorders should talk to a genetic counselor about their options before getting pregnant.

If a birth defect in a baby can cause serious health issues or not will depend on which body part is affected and how much of the body part affected. The more severe the defect, the more severe the issues will be.

Most birth defects are caused either through genetics or environmental factors during fetal development. The chance of developing birth defects is reduced by knowing about your family's history with health issues and genes and speaking with a genetic counselor, and following prenatal care guidelines.

Structural birth defects alter how a specific part of the body looks or works. They can range from visible like cleft lips and cleft palate, but also the invisible, such as metabolic disorders or chromosome disorders. Inherited genetic conditions are one type of structural birth defect while environmental factors such as an absence of folic acids can lead to neural tube defects, which cause brain or spinal cord not developing properly.

Gather More Evidence Than You Think You Can.

There are a variety of medical procedures pregnant mothers can undergo to discover more about the possibility of birth defects. One of them is amniocentesis that involves a doctor taking a small amount of fetal fluid for analysis. This test could reveal chromosomal variations, as well as other health conditions, such as infections (such as rubella or Zika) or genetic abnormalities.

A doctor may also test the blood of a fetus amniotic fluid, Vimeo fetal blood and the umbilical cord for indications of birth defects. These tests are crucial to determining the cause of birth defects. They also help determine the severity of birth defect and its effects on a child's life.

Certain birth defects may not be discovered until after the birth of a baby or, in some rare cases, even as an adult. These conditions are not detectable prior to their onset and are often only discovered through equipment for diagnosing. In these cases, it is critical that the medical expert witness is well-versed in these technologies and has the correct knowledge to identify such defects. A lawyer who has years of experience will be able to determine the appropriate 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 the world of a family upside down. These injuries can cause long-term physical and mental issues, requiring medical care for a lifetime.

Medical science may explain around 30 percent of birth defect cases However, the majority of cases remain a mystery. Studies have shown that certain chemicals and substances such as those in prescription or over the counter medication taken by mothers or in toxic chemicals found in the homes and communities as well as contaminated groundwater and air may cause birth defects.

Doctors are required to evaluate the medication used by a pregnant mother and inform her of any possible dangers to the baby. If they fail to meet this obligation, they could be held accountable for birth defects caused by medication.

Doctors also have the responsibility to assess the safety of any procedure or equipment they recommend to pregnant women. This includes xray machines, surgical tools, and any other equipment. This could cause serious harm for a baby's health if a doctor uses the equipment improperly or does not calibrate it correctly. This would be considered to be malpractice. If this happens, it's important to contact a medical negligence attorney as soon as you can. In some states you have only one year to file a lawsuit for medical malpractice, so it's best to start the process as soon as you can.

Take the First Step

Birth defects are the main cause of infant deaths. They affect one in 33 babies every year. These conditions could be life-threatening, and can result in permanent physical, cognitive and emotional problems. In a few instances, scientists have identified the cause to be a mother's exposure to prescription or non-prescription drugs, toxins in the environment and maternal infections, the complications of pregnancy and delivery or family medical history (like genetic illnesses, sickle cell disease or PKU). However, in a majority of all birth defect cases the cause is unknown.

Certain birth defects are readily visible and can be detected at friendswood birth defect lawsuit or in the first year. Other conditions, such as heart defects or developmental and intellectual disabilities aren't as obvious and require tests that are specific to the condition.

Researchers are attempting to determine the causes of birth defects and how some of them may be prevented. Women who smoke, drink or use illegal drugs while pregnant are at greater risk of having a child with certain defects. Women with a history of family members that includes genetic disorders inherited from their parents may want to consult a genetic counselor prior to trying to be pregnant. They should also use the March of Dimes family health record form to gather information about medical conditions that run in their families and then share it with their doctor or genetic counselor.