When people hear the terms birth injury and birth defect, they may automatically assume that they mean the same thing. There are some differences that people should know about, but they are both serious problems that need to be addressed as soon as possible. Before you take legal action against the negligent party, you should take a second and make sure you know which one is which.
What Is a Birth Injury?
Birth injuries typically during the delivery process or right after the baby is delivered. Usually, it’s caused by a physical action that results in injuries such as nerve damage, broken bones, brain damage, and more.
There are often times when the injuries are caused by the negligence of the doctor, including the improper use of vacuum extraction or use of forceps. These can cause damage to the cranial nerve or skull, resulting in long-term damage from trauma to the brain.
What Is a Birth Defect?
Whereas it’s usually some form of trauma that causes a birth injury, a birth defect most often occurs in the womb during the development of the fetus. These are usually what result in developmental delays, as well as specific parts of the body and brain. Usually, birth defects can also cause damage to the nervous system.
Birth defects can be caused by genetic mutations, as well as problems with medications that go through the mother’s body and other circumstances. These can also be caused by the negligence of another party, such as when the doctor doesn’t warn the mother of issues regarding medications or prescribing reacting medications.
Our Houston birth injury attorneys at Hampton & King recognize the various differences between injuries and defects, as well as the possible causes. When negligence is involved, we work hard to protect the victims through difficult legal matters. We have a history of successfully holding negligent parties accountable and obtaining the justice — and compensation — our clients deserve.
Call us today and we’ll schedule a free case review to help explain your options.