Do you know the difference between birth defects and birth injuries? These two terms shouldn’t be used interchangeably, as they have very different meanings. A birth defect is not a birth injury and vice versa. To put it simply, one cannot be avoided, while one can. The birth injury occurs as a result of negligence or a complication that could have been avoided. You need to understand the difference.
Birth Defects
A birth defect is often discovered before the child is born. In most cases, the defect, or defects are detected through fetal testing, such as ultrasounds, chorionic villus sampling, and amniocentesis. These tests can tell you if your unborn child is in good health, or has a condition brought on by genetics or chromosomal abnormalities. No matter which types of conditions are found, you’ll know about them in advance and will be able to mentally, emotionally, and physically prepare for them. It won’t be a surprise. Birth injuries, on the other hand, are quite different.
Birth Injuries
A birth injury may occur in utero or while actively giving birth. You could end up with a complication that wasn’t planned or detected by your doctor for ahead of time, resulting in an injury to your child. Other birth injuries are caused by negligence, such as an obstetrician using a vacuum or forceps incorrectly. Being forced to give birth in a manner not conducive to the health of your child, such as an obstetrician not calling for an emergency C-section on time, can also lead to a birth injury.
While some birth injuries are obvious at the time, such as a broken collarbone from being forcibly removed from the womb, others injuries may not appear right away. They include injuries such as cerebral palsy, or the results of hypoxia when the baby goes without the proper amount of oxygen for a long period of time. Brain damage of any type may be seen immediately on a scan, or it may not and will appear later in life when your child fails to hit milestones on time.
In many cases, birth injuries can be prevented due to proper medical care and attention. There is no need for a mother to suffer, realizing that something went wrong and now her child will have to deal with a lifetime of issues.
If your baby suffered a birth injury, I’ll find out what happened and I’ll Make Them Pay!®
