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What Causes a Birth Defect?

It's the last thing an expecting parent would like to hear: Their child may be born with a defect. These birth defects are caused things that occur during fetal development and can affect your child's mental or physical health.

A medical professional is able to detect some birth defects in pregnancy through the prenatal test or newborn screening. However other birth defects could not be diagnosed until after your child's birth or a few years later when they show symptoms.

What Caused Your Child's Defect?

birth defect attorney kentucky are not known. However there are some things that increase the likelihood of having a child with defects. These include taking prescription drugs or taking certain medications before the birth, having a family member who has an abnormal birth or certain medical conditions, like rheumatic heart disease. Women who have an ancestral history of these disorders are advised to consult a genetic counsellor before getting pregnant.

Whether a child's birth defect causes serious problems or not depends on the body part that is affected and the extent of the body part affected. 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 fetal growth. You can lessen the risk of a birth defect consulting a genetic counselor as well as learning about the health history of your family, and having a conversation with the geneticist.

Structural birth defects are those that change the way a part of your body appears or performs. They can be obvious, such as cleft lips and cleft palettes, or invisible, such as chromosome disorders or metabolic disorders. Genetic disorders that are inherited could be a form of birth defects with structural causes. Environmental causes, such as the absence of folic acid can cause neural tube defects, which result in the development of the spinal cord or brain not working as intended.

Find More Evidence Than You Think

There are many medical procedures pregnant mothers can undergo to learn more about the possibility of birth defects. Amniocentesis is one of them, that involves a doctor taking a small amount of the fetal fluid to be tested. This test could reveal chromosomal anomalies as well as other health conditions such as infections (such as Zika or rubella) or genetic anomalies.

A doctor can also test a fetus' blood amniotic fluid, fetal blood and the umbilical cord for indications of birth defects. These tests are vital in finding out the reason for birth defect. They also aid in determining the severity of the birth defect is and the effects it could be having on a child's their adulthood.

However, some birth defects can remain unnoticed until a child is born, or in rare cases, an adult. These conditions aren't readily apparent before they are present and are often only discovered by using diagnostic equipment. In these cases, the medical expert witness must be knowledgeable with the technology and have the training necessary to recognize the defects. An experienced medical malpractice attorney is able to determine the appropriate specialist for your particular case.

Hire a Medical Malpractice Lawyer

If a child is born with a serious birth defect or suffers a serious birth injury, it can completely turn a family's world upside down. These injuries can lead to lasting physical and mental health challenges, requiring medical care for the rest of his life.

Medical science may explain around 30% of birth defect cases but the rest are still a mystery. Research has proven that certain chemicals and substances can cause birth defects, including those that are found in prescription and over-the-counter medicines that mothers are prescribed, the toxic chemicals at work in some communities and in homes, or the contaminating groundwater and air.

Doctors are required by law to analyze the dosage of medication taken by an expectant mother and inform her of any potential dangers for the baby. If they fail to perform this duty, they may be held accountable for birth defects that are caused by medications.

Doctors are also required to determine the safety and efficacy of any procedure or equipment they recommend to pregnant women. This includes x-ray equipment, surgical tools, and other equipment. If a doctor makes a mistake using this equipment or fails to properly calibrate the equipment it could lead to grave consequences for the baby. This is considered to be malpractice. When this happens it is important to speak with a medical malpractice attorney as soon as you can. In some states you have only one year to file a claim for medical malpractice and it's recommended to start the process as soon as you can.

Take the First Step

Birth defects affect one out of 33 babies born every year and are a major cause of infant mortality. These conditions can be life-threatening and result in a variety of long-term physical, emotional and cognitive problems. Scientists have, in some instances, linked the causes of birth defects to exposure to prescription or over-the-counter medicines, environmental toxins, maternal infections, complications during delivery and pregnancy or a family medical history or genetic disorders (like sickle cell disease, PKU, or genetic diseases). In the majority of cases, the cause is unknown.

Certain birth defects are readily noticeable and can be detected at birth or in the first year of life. Others, like heart defects or intellectual and developmental disabilities, aren't as easily identified and require tests that are specific to the condition.





Researchers are working to understand what causes birth defects and how them can be prevented. For instance, women who smoke and drink alcohol or consume illegal drugs during pregnancy increase the chance of having a baby with a defect. Women who have a family history of inheritance genetic disorders should think about seeing a genetic counselor prior to trying to get pregnant. They should also use the March of Dimes family health record form to gather information about medical conditions that are prevalent in their families and discuss it with their doctor or genetic counselor.