What Is the Difference Between a Birth Defect and Birth Injury?
The birth of a child is one of the most special things in this world.
If your child is born with a birth defect or sustains a birth injury, it can change your child’s life forever. Burton Law Group can help you with all your birth injury cases.
But what is the difference between a birth defect and a birth injury, keep reading to find out.
Birth Defect and Birth Injury
It is always best to be equipped with the knowledge of what something truly is before you make a claim. Knowing what a birth defect is versus a birth injury can help you determine if you have a case or if you should seek other means of compensation.
A birth defect is a structural change that can occur in utero and may not be readily visible until the child is born. A birth defect can be the result of a ton of different issues.
It can be the result of something the mother ingested or was exposed to during pregnancy or the result of a genetic mutation. It can also be the result of some medication that was administered to the mother.
Generally, birth defects are going to be something that you have to spot after birth.
A birth injury is an injury that is sustained during the birth of a child. This could be something like a fractured or broken bone, damage to the spine or nerves, and more. Birth injuries are not terribly common these days, but they are still very life-changing and can alter the course of your child’s life.
Common Types of Birth Defect and Birth Injury
There are a few different birth defects that are relatively common in a range of children. Limb difference is among the most common. This can be things like limb deformity, absence of a limb, issues with feet or hands, and even a limb that is shorter than the others. There are also things like cleft pallets and other bodily deformities.
Some of the most common birth injury issues are things like fractured bones in the collar bone and clavicle, fractured arms and legs, and more. Another common issue is spinal cord injury from pulling the baby out. These injuries are those that could have been prevented and that was the result of the medical staff and something that they either did or neglected to do to protect that child during birth.
Causes and Signs
Birth defects may not be preventable, they may already be in place in the genetic makeup of the child before they are born. With birth defects, the main cause is something that the mother either ingested or was exposed to prior to the birth of the child.
With birth injuries, often these can be prevented with a medical staff that takes the time to ensure the child and mother are both going to be safe during delivery. A great medical team is going to go above and beyond to ensure that the child they are delivering comes into the world as safely as possible.
Prevention
With birth defects, the best prevention is going to routine medical care and attention while the baby is growing. Avoiding things that may harm the baby or damage the baby in any way, and being generally careful.
Birth injuries are best avoided by the medical team taking their time and being as careful as possible while they are delivering the baby. Birth injuries are going to be easier to avoid when the medical staff on hand at the birth takes the time to really make certain they are doing all they can to protect that child and its mother.
How an Attorney Can Help
If you feel that the birth injury or defect was the fault of another person or of a company due to something that you ingested that was not properly labeled, you can get the help of a birth injuries lawyer in Oklahoma to aid you with your case.
A great OKC medical malpractice attorney can help you determine if you have a case, they can help you collect the pertinent information and data, and they can help you to figure out how to proceed. Birth injury attorneys are a must if you feel that you have a case as is a good birth defect lawyer.
Finding a birth injury law firm with experienced lawyers can make such a huge difference in the outcome of your case. Contact the Burton Law Group today.