What Causes a Birth Defect?

It's not something that any expectant parent wants to hear: Their child may be born with a defect. These birth defects are caused by the things that happen during the fetal stage and could affect your child's physical or mental health.

Prenatal testing and newborn screening can be utilized by a health care provider to identify certain birth defects that can occur during pregnancy. However other birth defects can not be detected until after your child is born or later when they develop symptoms.

What caused your child's deficiency?

Many birth defects are not known. There are a few factors which can increase the chances of a woman having a child with birth defect. These include taking prescription drugs or taking certain medications before pregnancy, a history of having a relative with a birth defect or having certain medical conditions like rheumatic heart disease. Women with an ancestral background of these disorders are advised to consult a genetic counselor prior to getting pregnant.

The degree to which a birth defect can cause serious health issues or not depends on which body part is affected and the extent of the body part affected. The more serious a birth defect is, the more severe the problems.

Most birth defects are caused by genes or the environment during fetal development. The risk of having birth defects can be reduced by learning about your family's history with health issues and genes, talking to a genetic counselor, and following the prenatal care guidelines.

Structural defects are birth imperfections that affect how an element of your body appears or functions. They can be visible, such as cleft lips and cleft palettes, or invisible, such as chromosome disorders or metabolic disorders. Genetic conditions that are passed down through the generations are one kind of birth defect lawyers defect that is structural, while environmental factors such as the absence of folic acid can lead to neural tube defects, which cause the spinal cord and brain not developing correctly.

Find More Evidence Than You Think

There are a number of medical procedures pregnant women can undergo to find out more about a potential birth defect. Amniocentesis, for instance, is where a healthcare provider takes an insignificant amount of fluid from the fetus for examination. This test can reveal chromosomal abnormalities as well as other health conditions like infections (such as Zika or rubella) or genetic anomalies.

A doctor can also examine the fetus's blood or amniotic fluid as well as the umbilical cord for signs of birth defects. These tests are essential in determining the causes of birth defects. They can also determine the severity of a birth defect attorney defect and the impact it has on a child's life.

However certain birth defects may be unnoticed until the baby is born or, in rare instances, when an adult. These problems aren't visible before they are present and are usually only detected with diagnostic equipment. In these cases, it is crucial that the medical expert witness is familiar with these techniques and has the right training to be able to identify such defects. A lawyer who has experience should be able to identify the most appropriate specialist for your case.

Hire a Medical Malpractice Lawyer

If a child is born with a serious birth defect or suffers a devastating birth injury, it can completely turn a family's world upside down. These injuries can cause life-long physical and psychological challenges that often require an entire lifetime of medical attention.

Medical science can pinpoint the causes of 30% of birth defects, others remain unsolved. Research has shown certain chemicals and substances, like those found in prescription or over the counter medications taken by a mother, toxic chemicals in homes and communities or in groundwater that has been contaminated with air may cause birth defects.

Doctors are required to assess an expectant mother's current medication and inform her of any possible risks for the fetus. If they fail in this duty, they may be held responsible for birth defects that are caused by medications.

Doctors are also required to assess the safety and efficacy of any equipment or procedure they recommend to pregnant women. This includes x ray devices, surgical instruments and other equipment. If a doctor is negligent in using the equipment or fails to properly calibrate the equipment it could cause serious consequences for the baby. This would be considered medical malpractice. In the event of this you should contact a medical negligence attorney as soon as possible. In some states you have only one year to file a complaint for medical malpractice which is why it's important to begin the process as soon as possible.

Start with the First Step

Birth defects affect one of 33 babies born each year and are the most common cause of infant mortality. These issues are life-threatening, and they can cause permanent physical, cognitive and emotional challenges. Scientists have in some cases connected the birth defects' causes due to exposure of the mother to prescription and over-the-counter medications as well as environmental toxins, complications of motherhood, infections, delivery and pregnancy and medical history of the family, or genetic illnesses (like sickle cell disease PKU, sickle cell disease, or other genetic illnesses). But in about 70% of birth defect cases the cause is unknown.

Certain birth defects, like clubfoot or hearing loss, are easy to see and are easily diagnosed at birth or in the first year of a child's existence. Some birth defects, such as heart defects or intellectual and developmental disabilities, require tests specific to identify.

Researchers are trying to discover the cause of birth defects and how they can be prevented. For instance women who smoke, drink alcohol or take illegal drugs during pregnancy increase their chances of having a child with certain 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 use the March of Dimes family health history form to gather information about medical conditions that are prevalent in their families and share it with their doctor or genetic counselor.