What Causes a Birth Defect?

It's the last thing an expectant parent wants to hear: Their child may be born with a defect. These birth defects may be caused by a variety of circumstances that occur during fetal growth and can affect the mental or physical health of your child.

Prenatal screening and newborn screening can be used by a doctor to diagnose certain birth defects that can occur during pregnancy. However other birth defects could not be detected until after your child's birth or when they start to develop symptoms.

What caused your child's deformity?

Many birth defects are still undiscovered. However there are several factors that can increase a woman's risk of having a child with a defect. One of them is taking drugs or certain medications before becoming pregnant, having a family history of birth defects, or having certain medical conditions, such as rheumatic diseases. Women who have an ancestral background of these disorders are advised to speak with an expert on genetics prior to getting pregnant.

The degree of birth defect in a child varies on the body part affected and the degree to which it is affected. The more severe the birth defect, able.extralifestudios.com the more serious the problems.

The majority of birth defects are caused by genetics or the environment during the fetal development. The risk of having a birth defect is reduced by knowing about your family's history of genes and health issues or talking to a genetic counselor and following the guidelines for prenatal care.

Structural birth problems are those that alter how a specific part of the body looks or works. They may be visible such as cleft lips and cleft palettes. They can also be invisible, as with chromosome conditions or metabolic conditions. Genetic conditions that are passed down through the generations could be a form of structural birth defects. 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 functioning properly.

Find More Evidence than You Think

There are many medical procedures a pregnant mother is able to undergo in order to find out more about the possibility of birth defects. One example is amniocentesis, which entails a doctor taking a small sample of fetal fluid to test. This test could reveal chromosomal variations as well as other health conditions like infections (such as rubella or Zika) or genetic disorders.

A doctor may also examine the fetus's blood as well as amniotic fluid and the umbilical cord for indications of ephrata birth defect lawyer defects. These tests are crucial in determining the cause of birth defects. They also help determine the degree of a birth defect and the impact it has on the adult life of a child.

However certain birth defects could be unnoticed until the baby is born or, in rare instances, even as an adult. This is due to the fact that these problems are not easily identified until they become apparent, and may only be recognized with the help of diagnostic equipment. In these cases, the medical expert witness must be familiar with the latest technologies and possess the education required to be able to spot these flaws. A seasoned medical malpractice lawyer should be able to identify the most suitable expert for your particular case.

Find a Medical Malpractice Attorney

When a child is born with a severe birth defect or suffers from a severe birth injury, it can completely turn a family's life upside down. These injuries can lead to lifelong physical and mental challenges needing medical attention for a lifetime.

Medical science is able to explain approximately 30% of birth defect cases however, many other cases remain a mystery. Research has found that certain chemicals and substances like those found in prescription or over the counter medications taken by a mother or children, harmful chemicals in communities and homes or in groundwater that has been contaminated with air may cause birth defects.

Doctors are required to evaluate the medications taken by the expecting mother and inform her of any possible risks for the fetus. If they fail to fulfill this duty, they can be held liable for birth defects caused by medication.

Doctors must also evaluate the safety and effectiveness of any equipment or procedure they recommend to pregnant women. This includes x-ray machines surgical tools, and other equipment. If a doctor makes a mistake using the equipment or fails to properly calibrate the equipment it could have grave consequences for the baby. This would be considered medical malpractice. When this happens, it's important to contact a medical negligence attorney as soon as you can. In some states you have only one year to file a complaint for medical malpractice therefore it's best to begin the process as soon as you can.

Start with the First Step

Birth defects are the most common cause of infant death. They affect one in 33 babies each year. These conditions can be life-threatening, and can trigger long-term physical, mental and emotional problems. Scientists have, in some instances, identified the birth defects' causes to exposure to prescription and non-prescription drugs as well as environmental toxins, complications of motherhood, infections, delivery and pregnancy or a family medical history or genetic illnesses (like sickle cell disease PKU, also known as genetic illnesses). In around 70% of cases, able.extralifestudios.com the cause is unknown.

Certain birth defects are easily detectable and can be identified either at birth or during the first year of life. Others, Vimeo.Com like heart defects or developmental and intellectual disabilities, are not as easy to identify and require special tests.

Researchers are trying to figure out what causes birth defects and how they can be avoided. Women who drink, smoke or take illegal drugs when pregnant are more likely to having a child born with certain defects. Women with a family history of inheritance genetic disorders should consider seeing a genetic counselor prior to trying to get 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 provide it to their doctor or genetic counselor.