What is the difference between a birth injury and a birth defect?
Birth injuries and birth defects are both related to health problems during a baby’s birth. However, they are not the same thing. A birth injury typically occurs during the birthing process and can be caused by medical negligence or an accident. For example, a baby can sustain a physical injury if the doctor uses excessive force when delivering the baby or if medical staff fail to identify fetal distress. Birth injuries can also occur as a result of medical malpractice, such as a doctor not responding to a mother’s need for a C-section delivery. Birth injuries can cause a wide range of physical, mental, and emotional issues, and have long-term implications. On the other hand, a birth defect is a problem that occurs when the baby is still growing in its mother’s womb. Birth defects are typically caused by genetic and environmental factors, such as exposure to toxins and certain infectious diseases. These can lead to a wide range of physical and mental issues that affect the baby from birth. Other common birth defects include Down syndrome and cleft palate. In conclusion, while both birth injuries and birth defects can result in long-term health issues for a baby, the difference between them is that a birth injury is caused by an incident during the birthing process, while a birth defect is caused by genetic and environmental factors before the baby is born.
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