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What Causes a Birth Defect?

The last thing that any expecting parent wants to learn is that their child could have a birth defect. These birth defects are caused by things that happen in the fetal period and can affect your child's physical or mental health.

Prenatal screening and newborn screening can be utilized by a doctor to diagnose certain birth defects during pregnancy. However other birth defects might not be detected until after the baby is born or when they start to develop symptoms.

What is the reason for your child's defect?

Many birth defects remain undiscovered. However there are a few factors that can increase the risk of having a baby born with a defect. One of them is using certain medications or taking certain drugs before getting pregnant, having an ancestral history of birth defects or having medical conditions, such as rheumatic diseases. Women with an history of these conditions should speak with a genetic counselor about their options prior getting pregnant.

The severity of a birth defect in a baby is dependent on the body part that is affected and the degree to which it is affected. The more severe a birth defect, the more serious the problems.

The majority of birth defect lawsuit defects are caused by genetics or the environment during fetal development. You can lower the risk of developing a birth defect by consulting with a genetic counsellor, learning about the health history of your family and having a conversation with a geneticist.

Structural defects are birth issues that affect how the body looks or functions. They can be obvious, like cleft lips, Cleft palettes, or they can be invisible, like chromosome issues or metabolic disorders. Genetic disorders that are inherited could be a form of birth defects with structural causes. Environmental factors, for instance, the absence of folic acid can cause neural tube defects that result in the development of the spinal cord and brain not working as intended.

Find More Evidence than You Think

There are many medical procedures pregnant mothers is able to undergo in order to find out more about the possibility of birth defects. Amniocentesis can be one of them, where a doctor collects an insignificant amount of fluid from the fetus for testing. This procedure may reveal chromosomal mutations in addition to other health conditions like infections (such as rubella or Zika) or genetic anomalies.

A doctor can test the amniotic fluid, blood and the fetus's tissues for signs of birth defect. These tests are crucial in determining the causes of birth defects. They also help determine the severity of birth defect and its effect on the adult life of a child.

Certain birth defects might not be discovered until after the birth of a child or, in a few instances, even as an adult. These conditions aren't readily apparent before they are present and can be detected with equipment for diagnosing. In these situations, it is essential that the medical expert witness involved is familiar with these technologies and has the right experience to detect these flaws. An experienced medical malpractice attorney can help you identify the appropriate specialist for your case.

Employ a Medical Malpractice Lawyer

If a child is born with a severe birth defect or suffers a devastating birth injury, it could completely turn a family's lives upside down. These injuries can cause permanent physical and mental problems needing medical attention for the rest of his life.

While medical science is able to pinpoint the causes of about 30 percent of birth defects, others remain unsolved. Research has found that certain chemicals and substances like those in prescription or over the counter medications taken by a mother, toxic chemicals in communities and homes or groundwater that is contaminated air can cause birth defects.

Doctors are required to assess the dosage of medication taken by an expectant mother and inform her of any potential risks for the embryo. If they fail to fulfill this duty, they can be held responsible for birth defects caused by medication.

Doctors also have a responsibility 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. If a doctor is negligent in using the equipment or fails to correctly calibrate the equipment, it could lead to serious consequences for the baby. This would be considered medical malpractice. When this happens, it's important to consult a medical malpractice lawyer as soon as you can. In certain states, you only have a single year to file a medical negligence case, so the faster you begin the process the more favorable.

Begin by completing the first Step

Birth defects are the primary cause of infant deaths. They affect one in 33 babies each year. These conditions are life-threatening, and can lead to long-term physical, mental and emotional challenges. Scientists have in some cases linked the causes of birth defects in mothers' exposure to prescription and over-the-counter medications or environmental toxins, as well as complications of motherhood, infections, pregnancy and birth and family medical history or genetic disorders (like sickle cell disease PKU, sickle cell disease, or other genetic illnesses). However, in a majority of birth defect cases the cause is unknown.

Some birth defects, like clubfoot or hearing loss, are easy to detect and can be diagnosed from birth or within the first year of a child's existence. Certain birth defects, like heart defects, intellectual and developmental disabilities require specific tests to determine the cause.

Researchers are trying to figure out what causes birth defects and how some of them can be prevented. For example women who smoke or drink alcohol or take illegal drugs during pregnancy increase the chances of having a child with certain defects. Women with an inherited family history of genetic disorders should seek out a genetic counselor prior to trying to get pregnant. They should also use the March of Dimes family health history form to collect information about medical conditions that are prevalent in their families and provide it to their doctor or a genetic counselor.