What Causes a Birth Defect?

It's the last thing an expectant parent wants to hear: Their child may have a birth defect. These iowa falls birth defect lawyer defects can be caused by circumstances that occur during fetal growth and can affect the mental or physical health of your child.

A medical professional can identify birth defects during pregnancy by using prenatal tests or newborn screening. Other birth defects could be discovered only after the birth of your child or if symptoms are evident.

What was the cause of your child's error?

The reason for many Doylestown birth Defect lawyer defects remains unknown. However there are some things that increase the chance of having a baby born with defects. One of them is taking certain medications or drugs before becoming pregnant, having an ancestral history of birth defects, or having medical conditions, such as rheumatic diseases. Women with an established history of these diseases should consult an expert on genetic counseling about their options prior 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. Typically, the more severe the defect it, the more serious the issues will be.

Most birth defects are caused by genes or the environment during the fetal development. You can reduce the chance of a birth deformity by consulting with a genetic counsellor as well as learning about the health background of your family and having a conversation with geneticists.

Structural garden city birth defect attorney defects are those that change the way a part of your body appears or works. They vary from the obvious like cleft lips and cleft palate, to the invisible, such as metabolic disorders or chromosome disorder. Genetic disorders that are inherited could be a form of birth defects that cause structural changes. Environmental factors, like an absence of folic acid can cause neural tube defects that cause brain or spinal cord development not working as intended.

Gather More Evidence Than You Think

There are a number of medical procedures that pregnant women can undergo to discover more about a potential birth defect. Amniocentesis is one example, in which a healthcare professional takes an insignificant amount of fluid from the fetus to conduct analysis. This test can reveal chromosomal defects as well as other health conditions, such as infections (such as Zika or rubella) or genetic anomalies.

A doctor may also examine the fetus's blood or amniotic fluid as well as the tissues of its umbilical cord for indications of birth defects. These tests are crucial in determining the root of birth defects. They can also assist in determining how severe the birth defect could be and the effects it could have on a child's their adulthood.

Certain birth defects might not be discovered at the time of birth or, in some rare cases, even as an adult. This is due to the fact that these problems are not easily identified until they are present and can sometimes only be recognized with the help of diagnostic equipment. In these instances, the medical expert witness must be conversant with the technologies and have the necessary training to identify these flaws. A lawyer who has years of experience will be able to determine the right specialist for your case.

Hire a Medical Malpractice Attorney

A child born with a serious defect or a severe birth injury can alter the life of families. These injuries can cause lasting physical and mental health challenges and require medical treatment for the rest of their lives.

While medical science can identify the underlying causes behind about 30 percent of birth defects, others remain a mystery. Research has found that certain chemicals and substances like those found in prescription or over-the-counter medication taken by mothers and toxic chemicals found in communities and homes, or contaminated groundwater and air may cause birth defects.

Doctors have a duty to assess an expectant mother's current medications and inform her about any risks to the baby. If they fail to perform this obligation, they could be held accountable for birth defects caused by medications.

Doctors are also required to evaluate the safety of any procedure or equipment they recommend to pregnant women. This includes x-ray equipment, surgical tools, as well as other equipment. This could result in serious consequences for a baby when a doctor uses the equipment improperly or does not calibrate it properly. This would be considered medical malpractice. If this happens, it's important to speak with a medical malpractice attorney as quickly as you can. In some states, you have only a single year to file a medical malpractice case, so the sooner you start the process the better.

Begin by completing the first Step

Birth defects are the primary cause of infant death. They affect one in 33 babies each year. These issues can be life-threatening and can lead to long-term physical, cognitive and emotional challenges. Scientists have in some cases connected the causes of birth defects to exposure to prescription or over-the-counter medicines, environmental toxins, complications of motherhood, infections, pregnancy and delivery and family medical history or genetic diseases (like sickle cell disease, PKU, or genetic illnesses). In about 70% of cases, the cause is not known.

Certain birth defects, such as hearing loss or clubfoot, are easy to spot and can be detected at birth or in the first year of a child's life. Some birth defects, like heart defects, intellectual and development disabilities, doylestown birth defect lawyer require specific tests to determine the cause.

Researchers are trying to discover the causes of birth defects and how they can be avoided. For instance, women who smoke, drink alcohol or take illegal drugs during pregnancy increase the likelihood of having a child with a defect. Women with a family history that involves genetic disorders inherited from their parents may want to consult a genetic counsellor before trying to be pregnant. They should also utilize the March of Dimes Family Health Form to collect information on medical conditions that run through their families. This information should be shared with their doctor or genetic counselor.