What Causes a Birth Defect?
It's not something that any expecting parent would like 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 physical or mental health.
A health professional can detect birth defects during pregnancy with newborn screening or prenatal tests. However, other birth defects may not be discovered until after your child's birth or when they start to develop symptoms.
What is the cause of your child's deformity?
The root of many birth defects remains unknown. However there are a few things that can increase the risk of having a baby with defects. These include taking prescription drugs or taking certain medications prior to pregnancy, having a relative with birth defects or certain medical conditions, such as rheumatic heart disease. Women who have an ancestry of these disorders should talk to a genetic counselor about their options prior getting pregnant.
Whether a child's birth defect can cause serious health issues or not is contingent upon which body part is affected and the extent of the body part is affected. Typically, the more severe the defect and the more serious the problem will be.
Most birth defects are caused by genetics or the environment during fetal development. The chance of developing birth defects can be decreased by educating yourself about your family's history with health and genetic issues or talking to an expert in genetic counseling and following prenatal guidelines.
Structural birth imperfections are those that alter the way a part of your body looks or works. They can be visible, like cleft lips or Cleft palettes, or they can be invisible, like chromosome conditions or metabolic conditions. Genetic disorders that are inherited can result in structural birth defects. Environmental factors, such as an absence of folic acid can cause neural tube defects that result in the development of the spinal or brain not working as intended.
Find More Evidence Than You Think You Can.
There are a variety of medical procedures that pregnant mothers is able to undergo in order to learn more about the possibility of birth defects. Amniocentesis can be one of them, which is when a healthcare professional collects an insignificant amount of fluid from the fetus to conduct analysis. This procedure could reveal chromosomal anomalies as well as other health conditions, such as infections (such as Zika or rubella) or genetic anomalies.
A doctor can also test the blood of a fetus, amniotic fluid and even the umbilical cord for indications of birth defects. These tests are essential to finding out the reason for birth defects. They can also determine the degree of a birth defect and its impact on a child's adult life.
However, some birth defects can be unnoticed until the baby is born or, in rare cases, an adult. These problems aren't visible when they occur and are often only discovered through diagnostic equipment. In these instances, the medical expert witness must be familiar with the latest technologies and possess the knowledge and experience required to be able identify these defects. A seasoned medical malpractice attorney will be able to identify the most appropriate expert for your particular case.
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If a child is born with a severe
birth defect or suffers a severe birth injury, it could completely turn the world of a family upside down. These injuries can cause life-long physical and emotional problems and often require ongoing medical treatment.
While medical science can identify the causes of 30 percent of birth defects, others remain unexplained. Studies have shown that certain chemicals and substances may cause birth defects, for example those found in prescription or over-the-counter medicines that mothers are prescribed as well as the toxic chemicals that the heart of some communities and homes, or in contaminated groundwater and air.
Doctors must evaluate the medication taken by the expecting mother and inform her of any possible dangers to the foetus. If they fail to perform this obligation, they could be held liable for birth defects that are caused by medications.
Doctors are also required to examine the safety of any procedure or equipment they recommend to pregnant women. This includes x-ray machines surgical tools, and any other equipment. This could cause serious harm for a baby in the event that a physician uses the equipment improperly or does not calibrate it properly. This would be considered to be malpractice. It is crucial to contact a medical malpractice lawyer as soon as you can if this happens. In certain states, you are only allowed a single year to file a medical negligence case, so the sooner you start the process, the more favorable.
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Birth defects affect one in 33 babies born every year and are a major reason for infant mortality. These issues can be life-threatening and they can cause lasting physical, cognitive and emotional issues. Scientists have, in some instances, connected the causes of
birth defects due to exposure of the mother to prescription and non-prescription drugs as well as environmental toxins, maternal infections, complications during the birth and pregnancy, family medical history, or genetic disorders (like sickle cell disease, PKU, or genetic diseases). However, in approximately 70% of birth defects cases the cause is unknown.
Some birth defects, like hearing loss or a clubfoot are easy to spot and are easily diagnosed at birth or within the first year of a child's existence. Other birth defects, such as heart defects or intellectual and developmental disabilities, are not as easy to identify and require special tests.
Researchers are trying to figure out what can cause birth defects and how these can be avoided. For example smoking and drink alcohol or consume illegal drugs during pregnancy increase the likelihood of having a child with certain birth defects. Women with a history of family members with inherited genetic disorders should consider seeing a genetic counselor prior to trying to become pregnant. They should also fill out the March of Dimes family health history form to collect data about medical conditions that are prevalent in their families and share it with their doctor or genetic counselor.