Birth Defects: The Price of a Healthy Baby

The excitement of learning you are pregnant quickly gives way a hundred fears. There are so many things that can go wrong, both during the pregnancy and once the child is born and growing, that it is only natural for parents to worry. And doctors don’t help. One of the first questions your OB-GYN will ask is which birth defects you want to screen for.

Despite the amazing breakthroughs in modern medicine, birth defects remain frighteningly common. In America, one out of every thirty three babies will have a birth defect. Many of these defects cause substantial hardships through life, and some are even fatal.

Luckily, there are surgical treatments available for certain birth defects provided the birth defect is discovered in utero. Birth defects that can be fixed by fetal surgery include:

• Urinary blockages and bowel obstructions
• Airway malformations
• Many spinal cord malformations
• Certain heart defects
• Cleft palates

Unfortunately, these life-changing surgeries are too expensive for many Americans to afford. The most difficult thing for a parent is when the birth defect was caused by the negligence of another party, and now their child must suffer.

If you or someone you love suffered a birth defect due to another’s negligence, please contact an attorney. Proper treatment for these conditions can be prohibitively expensive, but a good lawyer can help you make the negligent party pay for the necessary treatments.