Prenatal Misdiagnosis - Law

<p>While expecting parents have several emotions based around the impending arrival of their child, as do their friends and family, despair and anger shouldnt be two of these. Yet, in cases where something has gone wrong, either genetically or developmentally, the mother and father may feel this and more. They also have the ultimate say in if they would like the pregnancy to continue. Moving decisions from what color to paint the babys room to trying to figure out if, and how, it can receive lifetime care is sometimes too much. And thats if the parents know about these problems before the child is born. Imagine having no idea that your child has birth defects, or genetic disorders or diseases until after he or she comes into the world.Prenatal care in the United States is much better than it is in many parts of the world. Our doctors and nurses have the best training and technology at their disposal to ensure that the mother and the developing fetus will be healthy for nine m
onths. Checkups during these nine months should include prenatal screening that should include identifying risk factors for certain genetic diseases, such as: Canavans disease Cystic fibrosis Sickle cell anemia Tay-Sachs disease ThallasemiasThe type of risk obviously depends on the family history, and sometimes race and nationality of the parents, but all pregnancies are supposed to go through genetic testing. Another test is performed when the fetus is between 11 and 14 weeks old to determine the presence of Down syndrome by looking at the thickness at the back of the neck (nuchal fold). Blood is drawn from the mother at 16 to 18 weeks to determine several defects, including Down syndrome, spina bifida, and more in a test called a quadruple screen. Ultrasounds can also determine if anything is amiss. While prenatal care in the US is good, it isnt perfect. Mistakes and negligence may occur in prenatal screening, which can greatly influence how entire families cope with a var
iety of problems that occur with the mother and child. Common prenatal errors include: Failure to take thorough genetic screening of both parents family history Failure to offer quadruple screen at the appropriate time Inadequately performed or interpreted ultrasound results Improper laboratory reading of screening results Overlooked or misplaced prenatal screening results Improperly dated pregnanciesWhen these failures occur, families can be left with a lifetime of care, medical bills, and more. While everyone would like for these children and the families of these children to have the best possible care, the reality is that many of them will simply not be able to afford it. Sometimes it requires the experience of a prenatal misdiagnosis and wrongful birth attorney in your area.</p>

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