Category Archives: Birth Defects
Failure to Perform Cesarian Section Could Cause Birth Defects
When a traditional birth may cause complications for the child, the mother or both, doctors will perform a cesarean section. In a cesarean section, the doctor makes an incision in the abdominal wall and removes the baby through the incision. Cesarean sections are increasingly common: in 2009, 33 percent of births were performed with a cesarean section, a record high. There are many reasons for a doctor to recommend a cesarean section, or for a patient to choose one voluntarily. The placenta may block the cervix (placenta previa); the patient may develop diabetes during pregnancy, which typically leads to babies with higher birth weights; the baby may not be receiving enough oxygen (fetal distress); or the woman may be pregnant with twins or triplets, in which case a cesarean section is usually the safest mode of delivery. If a doctor fails to realize that a cesarean section is the safest…
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Tagged birth defect warning signs, cerebral palsy, cerebral palsy attorneys, cesarean section
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The Risks of Teratogens
Link to meet our birth trauma attorneys While birth defects can occur for a variety of reasons, there are some substances that when consumed will greatly increase the risk of such defects. Alcohol, some illegal drugs, and some prescription and over-the-counter medications are known to cause birth defects when taken during pregnancy. Known as “teratogens,” these substances interfere with the normal development of a fetus. It is not always possible to predict how a teratogen will affect a fetus, but there are some factors to consider: What type of drug is it? How big is the dose? How frequently is it taken? What stage of development is the fetus at the time of exposure? What is the individual response of the fetus to the drug? A variety of other factors, including maternal diet or illness Each fetus has about a four percent chance of a birth defect, even under perfect…
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FDA Faces Lawsuit Over Thalidomide Documents
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been sued for allegedly failing to turn over documents pertaining to the use and distribution of the morning sickness drug thalidomide. Attorneys filing a birth injury lawsuit against the companies involved with the drug claim they repeatedly requested the documents, but have not received them. The lawsuit the records pertain to claims the defendants withheld evidence proving that the morning sickness drug caused birth defects. The complaint also claims that Smith Kline & French (the predecessor to GlaxoSmithKline) distributed thalidomide to more than 20,000 people even though the drug never received FDA approval. We discussed in a previous blog how it is sometimes difficult to know the full range of side effects for each new drug that is introduced to the market. As unfortunate as it may seem, it can sometimes take a wave of birth defects to indicate a dangerous drug. Sometimes…
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