World Birth Defects Day Raises Awareness Of Preventable Birth Defects

by | Mar 5, 2015 | Uncategorized

Logo of Thornton Law Firm LLP with the text "Attorneys at Law" below. The stylized vertical design features blue and gray rectangles on the left, representing their expertise as Boston personal injury specialists.
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By David C. Strouss, Esq.
Published on March 5, 2015
his week we observed the first annual World Birth Defects Day. A group of 12 leading global health organizations created this day to raise awareness about birth defects, and to highlight how many birth defects can be prevented. The most common causes of preventable birth defects are alcohol use and folic acid deficiency. (The USA began fortifying flour with folic acid in 1998, and neural tube birth defects have fallen 35% since then.) Rubella vaccinations for girls and women likely to become pregnant would also prevent many birth defects.
Environmental exposures are also a preventable cause of birth defects. Thornton Law firm represents over 100 families whose children were born with birth defects after preventable environmental exposure to toxins. Some were exposed to unsafe prescription or over-the-counter drugs; some to chemicals in the workplace; others to toxins in the air or the groundwater of their community. We represent the children of semiconductor workers, agricultural workers, workers making furniture, plastics, textiles, personal care products, and microelectronics, and those whose parents lived in close proximity to industrial processes that released toxic chemicals.

Some telling statistics on birth defects:

8 million babies are born with birth defects each year. That is 6% of all births.

1 in 33 babies are born with a birth defect.

Birth defects are the leading cause of death in the first year of life.

A baby with a birth defect is born every 4.5 minutes.

We understand the pain that families face when coping with permanent, life-altering birth injuries and the frustration of knowing they did not have to happen. The emotional, financial, and physical strain of birth defects impacts everyone in that family for their whole life. If you believe your child was born with a birth defect caused by exposure to a toxic chemical, the birth defect attorneys at Thornton Law Firm offer free, completely confidential consultations. You can call our toll free number 888-491-9726  or tell us your story via email. All legal claims have short time limits so do not delay seeking legal advice if you believe you have a claim.