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How Can A Person Contract Birth Defect

A birth defect is the development of a condition when a baby is still developing in the mother’s womb. A baby is likely to develop a birth defect in the first 3 months of pregnancy. Birth defects may differ in severity, from being temporary and treatable to severe and permanent. Birth defects are caused by a variety of reasons, however the causes behind most of the birth defects remain unknown. What is known however is that harmful agents called teratogens and antidepressant drugs have caused multiple birth defects in babies.



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In addition to the abovementioned causes of birth defects, with the advancement in the medical sciences, health care professionals can now diagnose many birth defects in the womb. Health care professionals may, however, misdiagnose a birth defect, causing more pain and suffering to the baby and his/her family.

Types of birth defects caused by teratogens

Approximately 4 to 5 percent birth defects are caused by exposure to harmful agents called teratogens. They may be present in the environment and drugs. A pregnant mother getting exposed to them may give birth to a baby with a birth defect. Harmful chemicals found at a workplace are also teratogens and may cause a birth defect. Expecting mothers are however not the only ones getting exposed to teratogens. In some cases, the expecting father is the one who was exposed to teratogens.

Exposure to teratogens may cause:

  • Brain and spinal disorders
  • Early childhood Leukemia
  • Missing or underdeveloped organs
  • Retinoblastoma
  • Deformed or missing limbs
  • Neural Tube Defects (NTD’s)
  • Cleft Lip/Cleft Palate

Types of birth defects caused by drugs

In addition to teratogens, intake of some drugs by expecting mothers can also be harmful.  Antidepressants are prescribed to pregnant mothers for a variety of reasons. Some of these drugs however may cause severe side effect, including child birth defects. Antidepressants like Lexapro, Celexa, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil are known to have caused birth defects.

Some of the following birth defects may be caused by the antidepressants:

  • Spina Bifida
  • Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate
  • Club Foot
  • Lung and heart defects

Has your child been diagnosed with a birth defect?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one out of thirty-three kids born in the United States are born with a birth defect. If your baby has been diagnosed with a birth defect, it may have been caused of reasons not of your own making. You may win compensation against those parties which caused the defect in your baby by filing a successful lawsuit with the help of a personal injury law firm.

Are you looking for help?

If you or a loved one has a child with a birth defect, you need to know what caused it. While knowing the reason may not treat the condition, it will certainly make you know who/what could have caused the birth defect. The birth defect may have been caused by working at a particular workplace where teratogens were used or by the use of antidepressants. You may want to contact a personal injury lawyer to help you file a lawsuit against the wrongdoer(s).