If your baby was deprived of oxygen during birth in Aspen Hill, you are facing a frightening and life-altering situation. Our Aspen Hill fetal acidosis lawyers, Jonathan Schochor and Kerry Staton, have guided Montgomery County families through these crises for decades.
We combine deep medical knowledge with proven courtroom skill to secure the resources injured children need. Call (410) 234-1000 for a free, no-pressure consultation today.
What Is Fetal Acidosis and Why Is It So Dangerous?
Fetal acidosis is a harmful buildup of acid in a newborn’s blood caused by oxygen deprivation before or during delivery. Even brief periods of hypoxia can injure the brain or vital organs. A blood pH far below the healthy 7.35 range can trigger seizures, cerebral palsy, or death.
Doctors diagnose acidosis with cord-blood gas tests, low Apgar scores, and immediate clinical signs. Prompt treatment matters because every minute without oxygen increases the risk of lifelong disabilities.
What Causes Fetal Acidosis in Newborns?
Oxygen loss is the root cause of fetal acidosis. Several obstetric events can cut off or restrict that oxygen flow:
- Umbilical cord problems: Compression, true knots, or a prolapsed cord can block oxygen.
- Placental abruption: Early detachment stops maternal blood reaching the fetus.
- Prolonged or hyper-stimulated labor: Excessive Pitocin or stalled dilation squeezes the placenta for too long.
- Shoulder dystocia or obstructed delivery: A baby stuck in the canal compresses its own lifeline.
- Maternal conditions: Severe pre-eclampsia, sepsis, or anesthesia-related hypotension reduce placental oxygen.
Many of these complications are foreseeable and treatable when the medical team responds quickly.
How Is Fetal Acidosis Different from “Birth Asphyxia” or Respiratory Distress?
Birth asphyxia is the event of oxygen deprivation; fetal acidosis is the chemical result of that event. Respiratory acidosis develops quickly when carbon dioxide builds up from an acute blockage.
Metabolic acidosis develops over longer hypoxia as lactic acid accumulates. Respiratory acidosis can often be reversed quickly, but metabolic acidosis signals a longer insult and carries higher injury risk.
What Are the Warning Signs of Fetal Acidosis During Labor?
Doctors and nurses must watch for distress signals that precede acidosis:
- Abnormal fetal heart rate patterns: Late decelerations, persistent bradycardia, or minimal variability warn of hypoxia.
- Meconium-stained fluid: A fetus sometimes passes stool when stressed.
- Changed fetal movement: Sudden decrease or frantic kicking can indicate struggle.
- Maternal red flags: Sudden bleeding, sharp pain, or low blood pressure hint at placental problems.
After birth, low Apgar scores, weak cry, blue coloring, or seizures demand immediate NICU care. Failure to act on any of these signs can constitute negligence.
Can Fetal Acidosis Be Prevented with Proper Medical Care?
Yes, most cases are preventable with diligent monitoring and timely intervention. Continuous electronic fetal monitoring should alert staff to distress so they can reposition the mother, administer oxygen, or perform an emergency C-section within minutes.
Rapid diagnosis and neonatal cooling therapy can limit brain damage when acidosis occurs. Because modern protocols make severe acidosis rare, parents are right to question whether warning signs were ignored.
How Could Medical Negligence Cause My Baby’s Fetal Acidosis?
Substandard medical care directly causes or worsens many acidosis injuries. Common failures include:
- Failure to monitor or respond: Ignoring heart-monitor alarms allows distress to escalate.
- Delayed C-section: Waiting too long after clear distress prolongs oxygen loss.
- Misuse of Pitocin: Excessive contractions compress placental blood flow.
- Anesthesia errors: Untreated maternal hypotension deprives the fetus of oxygen.
- Overlooked maternal infection: Untreated chorioamnionitis compromises oxygen transfer.
Our Aspen Hill birth injury attorneys at Schochor, Staton, Goldberg & Cardea work with leading obstetric experts to pinpoint exactly where the standard of care was breached.
