Cures for Children with Birth Disorders
When it comes to birth disorders, there are over 4,000 different kinds that could affect your child. While you might feel alone in this, the CDC reports 120,000 children are born each year in the United States with birth defects. If your child was born with a birth injury, many different people and resources are available to help you through the process.
The Most Common Types of Birth Disorders
Some of the most common birth disorders include:
- Club foot
- Spina bifida
- Congenital hip dislocation
- Cleft palate
- Heart defects
Let’s say that your child has a problem with their body chemistry. Doctors refer to this as a metabolic birth defect. When a child has this condition, their body can’t break down foods properly to create energy in the body.
Prevention: Better Than a Cure
Not all birth disorders can be treated. In many, prevention is better than relying on a cure. A mother can take measures to lower the risk of a birth injury. For example, as a mother, you should watch your diet carefully, report to your doctor all the medications you take, and practice a healthy lifestyle with routine well checks. In some cases, parents can do everything right and they will still have a child born with birth defects.
Cerebral Palsy: No Cure
Cerebral palsy is an example of a situation, where you can do everything right and still encounter issues. This condition often happens as a result of brain damage when the child does not receive enough oxygen during birth. While there is no cure for CP, there are management options available that can decrease pain and increase mobility for your child.
Some of the available treatments include:
- Surgery
- Medication
- Physical therapy
- Speech and language therapy
- Occupational therapy
Unfortunately, you can’t prevent all birth disorders, and one of the most severe ones that you can’t prevent is CP. In other cases, a child can suffer an injury because doctors and medical staff acted carelessly. Under those circumstances, you could be entitled to some compensation.
You can take actionable steps to lower the risk that your child will suffer from an injury, but in many cases, chance still plays a role. Getting vaccinated against certain infections like rubella can help prevent birth defects from occurring. Some of these injuries result from the mother getting infected with a disease that is then transmitted to the child. You should also avoid drinking and smoking because these negatively impact your baby’s health and development.