Our Philadelphia Birth Defect Lawyers sue doctors and other health care providers whose negligent prenatal care caused children’s birth defects. Doctors and others who provide substandard care to a woman during pregnancy can be liable for defects caused by their neglect. Heiligman & Mogul, P.C.’s Philadelphia Birth Defect Lawyers have the experience and knowledge to handle these complex cases.
Understanding Birth Defects Caused by Malpractice: How Birth Defect Lawyers Can Help
Birth defects are congenital defects sometimes caused by a doctor’s careless prescription of medicines to a pregnant woman. Other forms of negligent prenatal care can also cause birth defects.
Birth defects caused by negligent prenatal care form the basis for legal actions brought by our Philadelphia Birth Defect Lawyers. These defects include:
Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate Defects
A woman who uses certain drugs in the first 3 months of pregnancy may give birth to a child with cleft defects. These include the anti-nausea drug Zofran. They also include the following anti-depressants:
- Celexa
- Cymbalta
- Effexor
- Lexapro
- Paxil
- Prozac
- Symbyax
- Topomax
- Wellbutrin
- Zoloft
When a doctor prescribes a drug known to raise the risk of cleft defects to a pregnant woman, the doctor may be liable for her child’s cleft defect caused by the drug. The doctor may also be liable for the defect for failing to monitor the woman’s use of the drug.
Heart Defects
Negligent prenatal care can also cause congenital heart defects. Certain drugs may interfere with the healthy development of a fetus’s heart. If a doctor prescribes one of these drugs to a pregnant woman, the doctor may be liable for her child’s heart defect caused by the drug. These drugs include:
- Thalomid
- Amnesteem
- Claravis
- Sotret
- Depakote
- Depakene
- Lithium
- Stavzor
- Valproic
Other examples of less than adequate prenatal care that can cause a child’s heart defect include a doctor’s failure to:
- advise on and monitor the mother’s diabetes
- advise on and monitor the mother’s alcohol use
- advise on and monitor the mother’s smoking
- test for and immunize the mother against Rubella (German measles)
Spina Bifida
Negligent prenatal care can also cause a baby’s Spina Bifida neural tube defect. A doctor who does not prescribe folic acid supplements to a pregnant woman may be legally responsible for her child’s Spina Bifida caused by a folic acid deficiency.
A doctor’s prescription of the following anti-seizure and anti-depressant drugs may also provide the basis for such a lawsuit:
- Depakote
- Depakene
- Stavzor
- Topomax
- Paxil
- Lexapro
- Wellbutrin
- Zoloft