Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Legal Team

It can be a frightening and confusing experience to discover that your child was born with a birth defect. Contacting a legal team for birth defects with experience is vital in the earliest time possible.

A lawyer can help you understand the causes of a birth defect and how to file a lawsuit to claim damages for your child.

Causes of Birth Defects

Birth defects are structural problems that alter the way the body looks or works. They can occur at any point during pregnancy, but they typically occur in the first 3 months. Some are visible while others are only detected by a healthcare provider. They can vary in severity from mild to severe.

Most birth defects result from genetic disorders. They occur when an individual gene is altered (mutated) or is absent. Most genes are passed from parents to children, however, some are inherited from the environment. Environmental factors could include drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, or taking certain medications during pregnancy. Exposure to harmful chemicals can also increase the risk of developing a birth defect.

Certain birth defects can be treated, however, the majority of birth defects cannot be treated. These include surgery, medications and home care. Surgery can correct birth defects such as Cleft lips and palates, and Birth defect law firms spina-bifida. Other problems, such as patent ductus arteriosus and Tay-Sachs's syndrome, birth defect law Firms can be treated with medications.

Women who drink alcohol, smoke or both during pregnancy have a higher risk of having children born with birth defects. Women with an ancestral history of birth defect are at higher risk too. It is important to discuss with your doctor the possibility of having a baby with a birth deformity.

Medical Malpractice

In many cases birth defects result from medical negligence during pregnancy or delivery. A New York birth defects lawyer can help parents file a malpractice lawsuit against the doctor or other medical experts who caused the child's condition.

For instance, a medical professional could have misjudgedly prescribed medication to the mother during her pregnancy, which increased the risk of the child being born with a certain defect. If the child suffers from a severe mental disability due to the medication, they are eligible to receive government benefits to help those with disabilities.

The medical professional or hospital might not have been able to spot an identifiable birth defect law firms defect in the mother during the fetal screening. If the doctor did not conduct a test or discuss the results with parents, he could be held liable for untrue claims.

Midwives, medical facilities and health professionals are required to divulge and provide medical records related to birth defects. The information could also be used to determine patterns and clusters and possible causes. This information should not be shared with other individuals or to the general public unless it is permitted by the applicable laws, regulations and HIPAA. These regulations can differ depending on the jurisdiction. The information is only used for approved purposes by the department of state. Every employee involved in the birth defect surveillance program must sign a confidentiality contract and receive instruction on how to handle confidential information.

Prescription Drugs

Amniocentesis, prenatal ultrasounds and blood tests can reveal the possibility of birth defects before the baby is born. These more specific screening options are available to women who are at greater risk of having a pregnancies due to the mother's history or her advanced maternal age.

A variety of over-the-counter as well as prescription medicines can cause serious side effects when taken by women who are pregnant. Pharmaceutical companies and those who prescribe these drugs have obligations to inform physicians of the potential risks and, if they fail to do so, they could be held responsible for any resulting birth injuries.

Due to birth defects, medical, hospital, and pharmaceutical bills can quickly mount up, especially if the defect is severe and requires lifelong treatment. It is essential to keep all receipts and bills as well as credit card statements, and other evidence that proves your damages and right to compensation.

Some birth defects can be corrected via surgery. Others can be permanent, affecting the person for the rest of his or her life, causing limitations and disabilities. A compassionate, knowledgeable birth defect lawyer can help families obtain the justice they deserve. You should start a claim as soon you discover that your child has an anomaly in their birth.

Environmental Exposure

There are numerous environmental causes of birth defects. These range from prescription or over-the-counter medications to chemical exposure in the workplace or in the home. The causes of these can be difficult to determine. But when too many babies with the same defect are born within a specific time period and place, it is known as a birth defect "cluster".

If there is any reason to believe that an injury to a child's birth or defect was the result of medical malpractice or negligence, a medical malpractice lawyer should be consulted. A skilled and compassionate medical malpractice lawyer can help families obtain the amount of compensation they are entitled to, so that the birth defect or birth injury doesn't have lasting negative effects.

Many states have laws requiring the monitoring of birth defects. This includes the capture of data from hospital discharge records. The information is then utilized to identify patterns, trends, and possible clusters.

The information could be collected and shared by various programs including: