What NOT To Do During The Birth Defect Attorney Industry

What Causes a Birth Defect?

The last thing a expecting parent would like to hear is that their child might be born with a deformity. These birth defects are caused by things that happen in the fetal period and can affect your child's mental or physical health.

A medical professional can identify birth defects during pregnancy by using newborn screening or prenatal tests. However, other birth defects may not be discovered until after your child is born or later when they develop symptoms.

What caused your child's deficiency?

The root of many birth defects remains unknown. There are some things which can increase the chances of being pregnant with a child with birth defect. This includes using medications or taking certain medications prior to the birth, having a family member that has birth defects or certain medical conditions, for instance rheumatic heart disease. Women who have an ancestral history of these diseases are advised to speak with an expert on genetics prior to getting pregnant.

The degree to which a birth defect causes serious issues or not will depend on which body part is affected and how much of the body part affected. The more severe the defect is, the more severe the problem will be.

The majority of birth defects are caused by genetics or the environment during the fetal growth. The risk of having birth defects is reduced by knowing about your family's history with health and genetic issues and speaking with a genetic counselor, and following prenatal care guidelines.

Structural birth defects alter how a part of the body appears or performs. They may be visible like cleft lips or Cleft palettes, or they can be invisible, as with chromosome conditions or metabolic disorders. Genetic conditions that are passed down through the generations may be a sign of structural birth defects. Environmental factors, like an absence of folic acid can cause neural tube defects, which result in the development of the spinal cord or brain not working as intended.

Gather More Evidence Than You Think You Can.

There are many medical procedures that pregnant mothers is able to undergo in order to determine the cause of the possibility of birth defects. Amniocentesis, for instance, is where a healthcare provider takes small amounts of fluid from the fetus for examination. This test can reveal chromosomal abnormalities and other health conditions, such as 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 vital in determining the cause of birth defects. They also aid in determining the severity of the birth defect is and the consequences it could have on a child in their adulthood.

However, some birth defects can be unnoticed until the baby is born, or in rare instances, when an adult. These conditions are not detectable before they are present and are sometimes only detected with diagnostic equipment. For these kinds of cases, it's crucial that the medical expert witness in question is familiar with these technologies and has the appropriate training to be able to detect these flaws. A seasoned medical malpractice lawyer is able to determine the right expert for your case.

Hire a Medical Malpractice Lawyer

When a child is born with a severe birth defect or suffers a serious birth injury, it can completely turn a family's life upside down. These injuries can create life-long physical and emotional problems which often require the need for a lifetime of medical treatment.

Although medical science has been able to identify the causes of 30 percent of birth defects, many others remain unexplained. Research has proven that certain chemicals and substances can cause birth defects, for example those present in prescription or over the counter medicines that mothers are prescribed as well as the toxic chemicals that play in certain communities and homes, as well as contaminated air and Birth Defects groundwater.

Doctors have a duty to evaluate the mother's current medications and advise her about any dangers to the fetus. If they fail to fulfill this obligation, they can be held liable for birth defects that are caused by medications.

Doctors are also required to evaluate the safety and efficacy of any procedure or device they recommend to pregnant women. This includes x ray equipment, surgical instruments and other equipment. If a physician is negligent when using the equipment or fails properly calibrate the equipment, it could have serious consequences for the baby. This is considered to be malpractice. It is crucial to get in touch with a medical malfeasance lawyer immediately when this happens. In some states, you're allowed only one year to file a lawsuit for medical malpractice and it's recommended to begin the process as soon as you can.

Begin by completing the first Step

Birth defects affect one out of 33 newborns every year, and are the most common cause of infant death. These conditions could be life-threatening, and can lead to lasting physical, cognitive and emotional challenges. Scientists have in some cases connected the causes of birth defects to the mother's exposures to prescription and over-the-counter medications, environmental toxins, maternal infections, complications during delivery and pregnancy and family medical history or genetic diseases (like sickle cell disease PKU, also known as genetic diseases). However, in a majority of birth defects cases the cause is unknown.

Some birth defects, like clubfoot or hearing loss, are easy to detect and can be detected at birth or in the first year of a child's life. Other birth defects, such as heart defects or developmental and intellectual disabilities, aren't as easily identifiable and require tests that are specific to the condition.

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 certain birth defects. Women with an inherited family history of genetic disorders should consult a genetic counselor before trying to become pregnant. They should also fill out the March of Dimes family health record form to gather information about medical conditions that can be found in their families and share it with their doctor or genetic counselor.