Notes

20 Myths About Birth Defect Attorney: Dispelled
What Causes a Birth Defect?

It's the last thing that an expectant parent wants to hear: their child could be born with a birth defect. These birth defects are caused by factors that occur during the development of the fetus and can affect your child's mental or physical health.

A health care provider can diagnose some birth defects during pregnancy using prenatal testing or newborn screening. However other birth defects can not be discovered until after the birth of your child or later, when they begin to show symptoms.

What was the cause of your child's error?

Many birth defects remain unknown. There are some things that increase the chance of the mother having a child with birth defect. Some of these include taking certain medications or prescription drugs before becoming pregnant, having a family history of birth defects, or having medical conditions like rheumatic disease. Women with an ancestral history of these diseases are advised to consult a genetic counselor prior to becoming pregnant.

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

Most birth defects are caused by genes or the environment during the development of the fetus. The chance of developing birth defects can be reduced by learning about your family's history with genes and health issues and speaking with an expert on genetics and following the prenatal care guidelines.

Structural birth imperfections are those that alter the way a part of your 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 disorder. Genetic conditions that are passed down through the generations may be a sign of birth defects with structural causes. Environmental factors, for instance, the absence of folic acid can cause neural tube defects that cause the development of the spinal cord and brain not functioning as it should.

Get More Evidence than You Think

There are a variety of medical procedures pregnant women can undergo to discover more about potential birth defects. birth defect attorney aurora is amniocentesis, which entails a doctor taking a small sample of fetal fluid for analysis. This procedure can reveal chromosomal abnormalities, as well other health issues like infections (such as Zika or rubella) or genetic anomalies.

A doctor can test the amniotic fluid, blood and the tissues of a fetus for indications of a birth defect. These tests are crucial to determining the cause of birth defects. They can also assist in determining how serious a birth defect will be and the consequences it could have on a child in his or her adult life.

However, some birth defects can remain unnoticed until a child is born or, in rare instances, even as an adult. These conditions are not detectable when they occur and are usually only detected by using equipment for diagnosing. For these kinds of cases, it is critical that the medical expert witness involved is familiar with these techniques and has the proper knowledge to detect these flaws. A lawyer who has years of experience will be able to determine the best expert for your case.

Employ a Medical Malpractice Lawyer

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

Medical science may explain around 30% of birth defect cases however, many other cases remain unknown. Research has found that certain chemicals and substances like those in prescription or over-the-counter medicines taken by mothers or in toxic chemicals found in the community and in homes or groundwater that is contaminated air, can cause birth defects.

Doctors must evaluate the medications taken by the mother-to-be and inform her of any possible dangers to the baby. If they fail in their duty, they can be held liable for birth defects that are caused by medications.


Doctors are also required to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of any equipment or procedure they recommend to pregnant women. This includes x-ray machines surgical tools, and any other equipment. If a physician is negligent when using the equipment, or fails to properly calibrate the equipment it could have grave consequences for the baby. This is considered to be malpractice. It is essential to speak with a medical malpractice lawyer as soon as you can if this happens. In certain states, you're only given one year to file a medical malpractice case, so the faster you begin the process, the better.

Start with the First Step

Birth defects are the primary cause of infant death. They affect one in 33 babies each year. The conditions can be life-threatening and can cause long-term cognitive, emotional, and physical problems. In some instances, researchers have identified the cause to be a mother's exposure to prescription or non-prescription medications, toxins accumulated in the environment and maternal infections, the complications of pregnancy and birth or a medical history in the family (like genetic illnesses like sickle cell diseases or PKU). However, in a majority of birth defect cases the cause is not known.

Certain birth defects, like hearing loss or a clubfoot are easy to spot and can be detected at birth or in the first year of a child's existence. Some birth defects, like heart defects, intellectual and developmental disabilities, require specific tests to detect.

Researchers are trying to figure out the causes of birth defects and how some of them may be prevented. For example women who smoke, drink alcohol or take illegal drugs during pregnancy increase the risk of having a baby with certain birth defects. Women with a family history of inheritance genetic disorders should seek out a genetic counselor before trying to become pregnant. They could also use the March of Dimes Family Health History form to collect information regarding medical conditions that are prevalent through their families. This information should be shared with their doctor or genetic counselor.

Here's my website: https://vimeo.com/706785817