I still remember my accident like it was yesterday. One minute I was driving my daughter to school and the next I was waking up in a hospital bed. It was frustrating to deal with the emotional trauma of forgetting an entire week of my life, in addition to stressing about my small child. Fortunately, we were both able to recover, but it wasn't easy walking dealing with the medical bills that accompanied the accident. I found myself struggling with things as simple as answering the phone, because I was nervous about dealing with another insurance adjuster. Fortunately, by working with a lawyer, I was able to make sense of my situation. I know that you can overcome difficult challenges too, which is why I shared my story on this website.
Working Through Emotional Trauma
Birth Defects: Helping Parents Understand And Move Forward
Debra Hawkins
Birth defects are a difficult reality for thousands of families each year. In fact, according to statistics published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately three percent of babies born each year in the United States are affected by some type of birth defect.
Some instances of birth defects can be corrected through surgery or medical treatment, such as cleft palates or other cosmetic malformities. More serious birth defects can cause infant death or create long-term problems for the child and its parents, including serious health, development or mobility issues.
Parents who are currently dealing with some type of birth defect can use the following information to help them better understand their situation and how to move forward.
Discovering birth defects
While some birth defects are discovered at birth or shortly after, others can take much longer to detect. During the initial examination of the newborn that takes place immediately after the birth, easily visible or medically obvious physical defects can be determined. Findings are discussed with the parents so that ongoing plans can be developed for the child's future medical treatment.
Less-obvious birth defects, such as those that exist internally or those that become obvious as the child grows, may take months or years to discover.
Causes of birth defects
Some types of birth defects have an unknown cause or may be linked to some type of genetic mutation that can be difficult to discover. Birth defects can also be caused by exposure to environmental toxins, such as heavy metals, or linked to some types of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications, as well as substances like alcohol or illegal narcotics.
Prescription medications for certain skin conditions, hair loss, and mental health conditions, as well as opioids used for pain, are just some of those drugs known to be related to serious birth defects.
Legal options to consider
When parents first learn their child may be afflicted with a birth defect, their first responsibility is always to nurture their child while moving ahead to provide the medical care and protection their child will need. Unfortunately, treating any birth defect can be very costly, especially in today's medical care climate.
Since some types of birth defects may have been specifically related to exposure to certain products, drugs, or toxins in the home, workplace, or general environment, parents may have legal options available to them to help them with the costs of past or future care and treatment needs.
Each birth defect case can have many specific differences that must be considered. Parents facing this situation will want to discuss their legal options with a birth defect attorney in their area to determine their legal options and how they can utilize them to protect their child's health and future.
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