Birth Injuries Due to Undiagnosed Birth Defects
What are my rights if my baby suffered from an undiagnosed birth defect?
We all hope that our unborn baby will come into the world healthy and happy. Sadly, about three percent of babies born within the United States each year suffer from birth defects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that birth defects are the number one cause of death among babies. Children that survive despite a birth defect could face numerous challenges and impairments. If your child was born with a birth defect that went undetected, you could have a viable medical malpractice case against your treating physician.
Identifying Birth Defects
One of the most important tasks of your prenatal care is to identify and diagnose any potential birth defects. With proper diagnosis, you and your physician can prepare for the birth of your child, who may require special medical treatment post-birth and delivery via a C-section. Despite the critical importance of diagnosing birth defects, many defects continue to go undetected across the country each year.
Types of Birth Defects
There are thousands of potential birth defects. Some of them are treatable, while others may result in lasting impairments. Birth defects can be neurological, sensory, degenerative, and much more. Some of the most common birth defects include:
- Down syndrome
- Congenital heart defects
- Prader-Willi syndrome
- Spina bifida
- Tay-Sachs disease
- Muscular dystrophy
- Anencephaly
- Cleft lip or palate
- Trisomy 13 or 18
- Rett syndrome
- Sickle cell disease
There is no easy time to learn that your child has a birth defect, but knowing during the pregnancy can give you and the medical team critical time to prepare. For this reason, doctors should thoroughly check the growing fetus for signs of a birth defect and perform all recommended testing. Failure to timely diagnose a birth defect can be grounds for medical malpractice.
Reasons for Failure to Diagnose
Your physician could miss a birth defect for numerous reasons, including:
- Failure to review the parent’s medical history
- Failure to detect maternal infections
- Failure to order proper screenings and tests
- Failure to conduct a proper physical exam
- Failure to detect fetal distress
Failure to diagnose a birth defect can have significant negative effects on the child in some circumstances. Contact a Georgia medical malpractice lawyer if your child was born with a birth defect that you believe should have been diagnosed during the pregnancy.
Posted in: Medical Malpractice