What Causes a Birth Defect?

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

Prenatal testing and newborn screening can be used by a healthcare professional to determine the presence of certain birth defects that can occur during pregnancy. Other birth defects may be discovered only after your child's birth or when symptoms start to show.

What caused your child's deficiency?

Many birth defects are still undiscovered. There are some things that increase the chance of pregnant women having children with a birth defect. One of them is using certain medications or taking certain drugs before getting pregnant, having an ancestral history of birth defects or having certain medical conditions like rheumatic disease. Women with a family history of these disorders are advised to speak with an expert on genetics prior to getting pregnant.

The degree of birth defect attorney defect in a baby is dependent on the body part affected and how severe the damage. The more severe the birth defect, the more severe the problems.

Most birth defects are caused by genes or the environment during the fetal growth. You can reduce the chance of having a birth defect by consulting a genetic counselor as well as learning about the health history of your family, and speaking with a geneticist.

Structural birth defects are those that change how a part of the body appears or performs. They may range from the visible such as cleft lips and cleft palate, to the invisibly, such as metabolic disorders or chromosome disorders. Genetic disorders that are inherited are a type of birth defect that is structural, while environmental factors like the absence of folic acid can lead to neural tube defects that cause the brain or spinal cord not developing properly.

Find More Evidence than You Think You Can.

There are a number of medical procedures a pregnant woman can undergo to determine the possibility of a birth defect. Amniocentesis is a prime example, in which a healthcare professional takes small amounts of fluid from the fetus to conduct analysis. This procedure may reveal chromosomal mutations and other health conditions such as infections (such as rubella or Zika) or genetic anomalies.

A doctor may also test a fetus' blood, amniotic fluid and even the tissues of its umbilical cord for signs of birth defects. These tests are essential in diagnosing the root of birth defects. They also aid in determining how serious the birth defect is and the effect it may have on a child's the years to come.

However, some birth defects can be unnoticed until the baby is born or, in rare cases, an adult. These issues aren't easily detected before they are present and are often only discovered by using diagnostic equipment. In these cases the medical expert witness must be familiar with the latest technologies and possess the education required to recognize these defects. A lawyer who has expertise should be able to pinpoint the appropriate expert for your case.

Find an attorney for Medical Malpractice

If a child is born with a severe birth defect or suffers a devastating birth injury, it can completely turn a family's life upside down. These injuries can cause life-long physical and emotional issues which often require a lifetime of medical care.

Medical science may explain around 30% of birth defect cases, but many others remain a mystery. Studies have shown that certain chemicals and substances may cause birth defects, for example those present in prescription or over the counter medications a mother takes and the harmful chemicals that play in certain communities and homes, as well as contaminated air and groundwater.

Doctors have a duty to review the pregnant mother's current medication and inform her about any dangers for the baby. If they fail to perform this duty, they may be held accountable for birth defects that are caused by medications.

Doctors also have a duty to assess the safety of any procedure or equipment they recommend to pregnant women. This includes x ray instruments, surgical instruments and other equipment. It could be a serious risk for a child should a doctor use the equipment negligently or does not calibrate it correctly. This would be considered medical malpractice. If this occurs you should speak with a medical malpractice lawyer as soon as you can. In certain states, you are only allowed a single year to file a medical malpractice case, so the sooner you start the process the better.

Step 1. Step

Birth defects are the leading cause of infant death. They affect one in 33 babies every year. These conditions can be life-threatening, and they can cause long-term physical, mental and emotional problems. Scientists have, in some instances, identified the causes of birth defects to exposure to prescription and non-prescription drugs, environmental toxins, complications of motherhood, infections, pregnancy and delivery, family medical history, or genetic diseases (like sickle cell disease PKU, or other genetic illnesses). But in about 70% of all birth defect cases the causes are not clear.

Certain birth defects, such as hearing loss or clubfoot are easy to detect and can be detected either at birth or during the first year of a child's life. Some birth defects, like heart defects, intellectual and developmental disabilities, require specific tests to identify.

Researchers are trying to figure out what can cause birth defects and how some of these can be avoided. For example, women who smoke or drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs during pregnancy increase their chance of having a baby with a defect. Women with a history of family members that includes genetic disorders inherited from their parents may want to consult with a genetic counselor before trying to get pregnant. They can also use the March of Dimes Family Health History form to collect data about medical conditions that run through their families. This information should be shared with their doctor or genetic counselor.