Knoxville Birth Injury Attorneys

Microcephaly - Overview

Microcephaly is a neurodevelopmental disorder that commonly affects fetuses.  When people have microcephaly, the circumference of their heads may be much smaller than what is considered normal for their genders and age groups.  People who have microcephaly will have abnormally small sized heads when compared to the rest of their bodies.  Another side effect of microcephaly happens to be underdevelopment of the brain, which can result in mental retardation.

Microcephaly can be caused by numerous factors, including genetics, chromosome disorders and environmental issues.  Environmental issues like prenatal radiation, infections or even mothers using drugs and/or alcohol can all lead to this defect in infants.  Anytime microcephaly results from genetics, it is considered a very rare incident.

Microcephaly as a Birth Injury

Once parents learn that their infants have microcephaly, it can be very devastating for numerous reasons.  First, due to the underdevelopment of the brain, children with this defect are likely to be mentally challenged.  Second, children with microcephaly are prone toward having seizures and being hyperactive.  Finally, children with microcephaly may die early if they have other congenital defects or develop infections. 

In most cases, microcephaly will develop from environmental issues.  Yet, there are cases where infants have developed microcephaly after sustaining injuries to their heads and/or brain during the birthing process.  When parents realize that their children developed microcephaly during the birthing process and that medical professionals' negligence led to their children being harmed, they should take the time to discuss their legal options with a skilled birth injury lawyer, like the lawyers at the Law Firm of John Whitfield.   At the Law Firm of John Whitfield, we understand how traumatic microcephaly can be for both children and their parents.

Knoxville Microcephaly Lawyers

The Law Firm of John Whitfield has served as professional litigators and also compassionate advocates for numerous clients in Tennessee.  If you are looking to speak with trusted and dependable Knoxville birth injury lawyers, contact the Law Firm of John Whitfield today to set up an initial consultation!