What Causes a Birth Defect?

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

A health care provider can identify birth defects in pregnancy through prenatal testing or newborn screening. However, other birth defects may not be identified until after the birth of your child or later, when they begin to show symptoms.

What caused your child's asymmetry?

The reason for many birth defects remains unknown. However there are a few factors that can increase a woman's risk of having a baby born with defects. This includes using medications or taking certain medications prior to the birth, having a family member with birth defects or certain medical conditions, such as rheumatic heart disease. Women who have an ancestral background of these disorders are advised to speak with an expert in genetic counseling prior to getting pregnant.

The severity of a birth defect in a child is contingent on the body part that is affected and how much is affected. The more severe a birth defect, the more severe the issues.

Most birth defects are caused by genes or the environment during the fetal growth. The chance of developing birth defects can be reduced by learning about your family's history of genes and health issues by speaking to an expert in genetic counseling and following the guidelines for prenatal care.

Structural birth defects are those that change how a particular part of the body appears or performs. They may be visible, such as cleft lips and Cleft palettes, but also invisible, as with chromosome conditions or metabolic disorders. Genetically-inherited conditions may be a sign of structural birth defects. Environmental factors, such as the lack of folic acids, can cause neural tube defects that result in the development of the spinal or brain not working as intended.

Gather More Evidence than You Think You Can.

There are many medical procedures a pregnant mother can undergo to find out more about the possibility of birth defects. Amniocentesis, for instance, is which is when a healthcare professional collects a small sample of fluid from the fetus to conduct analysis. This test can reveal chromosomal defects and other health conditions, such as infections (such as Zika or rubella) or genetic anomalies.

A doctor may also examine the fetus's blood amniotic fluid, fetal blood and the umbilical cord for indications of birth defects. These tests are vital in finding out the cause of birth defects. They can also determine the degree of a birth defect and the impact it has on the adult life of a child.

However, some birth defects can be unnoticed until the baby is born or, in rare instances, even as an adult. These problems aren't visible before they are present and are sometimes only detected with equipment for diagnosing. In these cases the medical expert witness must be familiar with the technologies and have the education required to identify these flaws. A medical malpractice lawyer with experience should be able identify the best expert for your case.

Employ a Medical Malpractice Lawyer

A child born with a serious defect or a serious birth injury could completely alter the life of a family. These injuries can cause life-long physical and emotional problems, often requiring a lifetime of medical care.

Although medical science has been able to identify the causes of about 30% of birth defects, others remain a mystery. Research has proven that certain chemicals and substances can cause birth defects, including those found in prescription or over-the-counter medications a mother takes and the harmful chemicals that work in some communities and homes, as well as contaminated air and groundwater.

Doctors must evaluate the medication taken by a pregnant mother and inform her of any potential risks for the foetus. If they fail in their duty, they may be held responsible for birth defects caused by medication.

Doctors are also required to assess the safety of any procedure or device they recommend for pregnant women. This includes x ray equipment, surgical instruments and other equipment. If a doctor makes a mistake using the equipment or fails properly calibrate the equipment, it could cause grave consequences for the baby. This is considered to be malpractice. It is crucial to contact a medical negligence lawyer immediately if this happens. In certain states, you have only one year to file a medical negligence case, so the faster you start the process, the better.

Start with the First Step

Birth defects affect one out of 33 babies born every year and are the most common cause of infant death. These conditions are life-threatening and result in a variety of long-term cognitive, emotional, and physical problems. Researchers have in a few instances connected the causes of birth defects to exposure to prescription and over-the-counter medications, environmental toxins, complications of motherhood, infections, the birth and pregnancy and family medical history or genetic illnesses (like sickle cell disease, PKU, or genetic diseases). However, in approximately 70% of birth defects cases the cause is unknown.

Some birth defects, like hearing loss or clubfoot are easy to detect and can be identified at birth or within the first year of a child's existence. Other birth defects, such as heart defects or intellectual and developmental disabilities are not as easily identified and require special tests.

Researchers are attempting to determine what can cause birth defects and how these can be avoided. For instance, women who smoke or drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs during pregnancy increase their risk of having a baby with certain birth defects. Women who have an inherited family history of genetic disorders should consider seeing a genetic counselor prior to trying to get pregnant. They should also use the March of Dimes family health history form to gather information about medical conditions that run in their families and then share it with their doctor or genetic counselor.