What Causes a Birth Defect?

The last thing a expecting parent would like to hear is that their child could have a birth defect. These birth defects are caused by factors that occur during the development of the fetus and can affect your child's mental or physical health.

A doctor can diagnose some birth defects in pregnancy through the prenatal test or newborn screening. Other birth defects may only be detected following your child's birth or when symptoms start to show.

What is the cause of your child's deformity?

The cause of numerous birth defects remains unclear. However there are some factors that increase a woman's risk of having a baby with a defect. One of them is taking certain medications or prescription drugs before getting pregnant, having a family history of birth defects or having medical conditions like rheumatic disease. Women with an ancestral history of these diseases are advised to speak with a genetic counsellor before getting pregnant.

Whether a child's birth defect causes serious problems or not is dependent on which body part is affected and how much of the body part affected. Typically, the more severe the defect is, the more severe the issues will be.

Most birth defects are caused by genes or the environment during the development of the fetus. You can lessen the risk of a birth defect consulting a genetic counselor as well as learning about the health background of your family, and having a conversation with geneticists.

Structural birth problems are those that alter how a particular part of the body appears or performs. They vary from the obvious such as cleft lips and cleft palate, but also the invisible, such as metabolic disorders or chromosome disorders. Genetic conditions that are passed down through the generations are one kind of birth defect that is structural, while environmental factors such as an absence of folic acids can cause neural tube defects that result in the brain or spinal cord 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. One of them is amniocentesis that involves a doctor taking a small sample of the fetal fluid to be tested. This test can reveal chromosomal defects and other health conditions like infections (such as Zika or rubella) or genetic anomalies.

A doctor may also examine the blood of a fetus as well as amniotic fluid and the umbilical cord for indications of birth defects. These tests are crucial to finding out the causes of birth defects. They also help determine the extent of the birth defect and its effect on a child's future.

Certain birth defects may not be detected at the time of birth or, in rare cases even after becoming an adult. This is due to the fact that these conditions aren't easily detected until they have been identified, and often can only be recognized with the help of diagnostic equipment. In these cases, the medical expert witness should be acquainted with the technologies and have the education required to be able to spot the defects. A seasoned medical malpractice lawyer should be able to identify the most suitable expert for your case.

Find a Medical Malpractice Attorney

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

Medical science could explain up to 30 percent of birth defects however, many other cases remain unsolved. Research has shown certain chemicals and substances, like those found in prescription or over the counter medications that mothers take or in toxic chemicals found in the community and in homes, or contaminated groundwater and air may cause birth defects.

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

Doctors also have the responsibility to assess the safety of any procedure or device they recommend for pregnant women. This includes x-ray instruments, surgical instruments and other equipment. This could result in serious consequences for a newborn baby in the event that a physician uses the equipment in error or does not calibrate it correctly. This is a case of malpractice. In the event of this you should seek out a medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible. In certain states, you have only one year to file a medical malpractice case, so the sooner you begin the process the more favorable.

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Birth defects are the primary cause of infant deaths. They affect one in 33 babies every year. The condition can be life-threatening and lead to many long term cognitive, emotional, and physical difficulties. In a few instances, scientists have identified the cause to be a mother's exposure to prescription and over-the-counter medicines, toxins that are found in the environment as well as maternal infections, complications of pregnancy and delivery or a medical history in the family (like genetic illnesses such as sickle cell disease or PKU). However, in approximately 70% of birth defect cases the cause is not known.

Some birth defect attorney defects are easily detectable and can be identified either at birth or during the first year of life. Others, such as heart problems or developmental and intellectual disabilities are not as easily identifiable and require tests of a different kind.

Researchers are working to understand the causes of birth defect attorney defects and how they can be prevented. Women who smoke, drink or consume illegal substances while pregnant increase their risk for having a child born with certain defects. Women with a family history involving genetic disorders inherited from their parents may want to consult a genetic counsellor before trying to be pregnant. They could also use the March of Dimes Family Health History form to collect data on medical conditions that run through their families. This information should be shared with their doctor or genetic counselor.