It s The Ugly The Truth About Birth Defect Attorney
What Causes a Birth Defect?
It's not something that any expecting parents wants to hear: their child may have a birth defect. These birth defects are caused by things that occur during fetal development and can affect your child's physical or mental health.
A doctor can identify birth defects during pregnancy using prenatal testing or newborn screening. However, other birth defects may not be identified until after your child's birth or when they start to develop symptoms.
What caused your child's deformity?
The causes of many birth defects remains unknown. However there are several factors that increase the chance of having a child born with a defect. These include using drugs or taking certain medications prior to pregnancy, having a family member that has birth defects or certain medical conditions, for instance rheumatic heart disease. Women who have an history of these conditions should consult a genetic counselor about their options prior to getting pregnant.
The severity of a birth defect in a child is contingent on the affected body part and how severe the damage. The more severe the defect then the more severe the problems will be.
Most birth defects are caused by genes or the environment during the development of the fetus. The risk of having birth defects can be reduced by learning about your family's history of health and genetic issues, talking to a genetic counselor, and following the prenatal care guidelines.
Structural defects are birth issues that affect how a part of your body looks or performs. They may be visible, like cleft lips, Cleft palettes, but also invisible, such as chromosome disorders or metabolic disorders. Inherited genetic conditions may be a sign of structural birth defects. Environmental factors, like the lack of folic acids, can cause neural tube defects, which result in brain or spinal cord development not functioning as it should.
Gather More Evidence Than You Think You Can.
There are a variety of medical procedures that pregnant mothers is able to undergo in order to learn more about the possibility of birth defects. Amniocentesis is one example, where a healthcare provider takes a small sample of fluid from the fetus for analysis. This test can reveal chromosomal abnormalities, as well other health issues like infections (such as Zika or rubella) or genetic anomalies.
A doctor can also examine the blood of a fetus or amniotic fluid as well as the umbilical cord for signs of birth defects. These tests are essential to finding out the cause of birth defects. They can also help determine the severity of a birth defect could be and the effects it could affect a child later in the years to come.
However, some birth defects can be unnoticed until the baby is born or, in rare cases, as an adult. This is because the issues are not readily apparent until they are present and may only be detected using diagnostic equipment. In these kinds of cases, it's crucial that the medical expert witness involved is well-versed in these technologies and has the correct knowledge to detect these flaws. An experienced medical malpractice lawyer is able to determine the most appropriate expert for your case.
Hire a Medical Malpractice Lawyer
When a child is born with a serious 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, requiring medical care for the rest of his life.
Although medical science has been able to identify the causes of 30% of birth defects (https://voiceof.com/the-unspoken-secrets-Of-birth-defect-lawyers/), many others remain unexplained. Research has proven that certain chemicals and substances can cause birth defects, including those found in prescription or over-the-counter medicines that mothers are prescribed and the harmful chemicals that play in certain communities and homes, or in contaminated air and groundwater.
Doctors are required to assess an expectant mother's current medications and advise her about any risks to the foetus. If they fail to perform this duty, they can be held responsible for birth defects caused by medication.
Doctors must also evaluate the safety and efficacy of any procedure or device they recommend to pregnant women. This includes x-ray machines, surgical tools, and any other equipment. This could cause serious harm for a baby's health should a doctor use the equipment improperly or does not calibrate it properly. This would be considered to be malpractice. It is important to contact a medical negligence lawyer immediately in the event of this happening. In some states, you are only allowed a single year to file a medical malpractice case, so the sooner you start the process the more favorable.
Take the First Step
Birth defects affect 1 out of 33 babies born each year, and are a leading cause of infant death. The conditions could be life-threatening and lead to many long term mental, emotional and physical problems. Scientists have in a few cases identified 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, delivery and pregnancy and family medical history or genetic diseases (like sickle cell disease, PKU, or genetic illnesses). However, in a majority of birth defect law firm defects cases the cause is unknown.
Some birth defects, like hearing loss or clubfoot, are easy to detect and can be diagnosed at birth or within the first year of a child's existence. Other birth defects, such as heart defects or developmental and intellectual disabilities are not as easy to identify and require tests of a different kind.
Researchers are working to understand the causes of birth defects and how some of they can be prevented. For example, women who smoke and drink alcohol or consume illegal drugs during pregnancy increase the chances of having a child with certain birth defect lawsuit defects. Women with a history of family members that includes inherited genetic disorders may want to consult a genetic counsellor prior to trying to conceive. They can also use the March of Dimes Family Health History form to collect data about medical conditions that can be traced through their families. This information should be shared with their doctor or genetic counselor.