Affecting the structure of a baby's heart and the way it works, cardiac defects occur in nearly 1% of newborns every year across the country.
They vary from mild, such as a small hole in the heart, to severe, such as a missing or poorly formed part of the heart.
While cardiac defects are believed to be caused by a combination of genes and other risk factors, such as things in the environment, the mother's diet, her health conditions, or the woman's medication use during pregnancy, toxic exposure can also result in heart defects. This is the case of some children born to parents who spent time at Camp Lejeune during the last century, where they drank toxic water.
A study from the International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health found that paternal exposure to solvents, which were present in the drinking water at Camp Lejeune, can cause atrial septal defects and right ventricle outflow tract obstructions. Furthermore, a study from Human Reproduction revealed that paternal exposure to polychlorinated compounds was associated with atrioventricular septal defects. These chemicals might have also been lurking in the environment of the military base between 1953 and 1987. The following are the most common cardiac defects occurring in newborns:
According to a study from Occupational and Environmental Medicine, associations were observed for exposure to any solvent and any chlorinated solvent with perimembranous ventricular septal defects. Moreover, any solvent exposure was linked to aortic stenosis and Stoddard solvent exposure to d-transposition of the great arteries, right ventricular outflow tract obstruction defects, and pulmonary valve stenosis. The maximum allowable limit of Stoddard solvent in workroom air during the 8-hour workday, and 40-hour workweek is 500 ppm.
If you are a Camp Lejeune Marine or a family member of one who has a child with a cardiac defect, we encourage you to contact our team of professionals, who can easily help you find out whether you are eligible to file a claim and obtain financial compensation on behalf of your baby. Our process is simple and requires minimal involvement on your part. Atraxia Law will efficiently help you determine your eligibility to file a Camp Lejeune water contamination claim.
Our expert team has the necessary experience, resources, and knowledge to offer you the assistance you need if you lived at Camp Lejeune and have a child with a cardiac defect. The only documents required to assess your case are your military records or evidence of your stay at the military base and the medical records of your baby. Eligible parents will be put in touch with a reputable, specialized attorney to have their claims filed.