The first moments after a difficult birth can be overwhelming. Jonathan Schochor and Kerry Staton have guided Maryland parents through these crises for more than 35 years. Our team has recovered hundreds of millions for children harmed by oxygen deprivation injuries, and we do it with empathy, grit, and meticulous preparation. We meet Severn families in their homes, at UM Baltimore Washington Medical Center, or virtually, and we charge no fee unless we win.
“Kerry Staton and Josh Kahn handled my case extremely well. From the first contact up to the outcome, along with team (sic), they were very professional and provided great counsel.” –Laetitia March-Nulton
If your newborn shows signs of acidemia, call (443) 909-2792 for a free consultation with a Severn birth injury attorney today.
What Is Fetal Acidosis?
Fetal acidosis is a dangerous drop in a baby’s blood pH below about 7.35 caused by oxygen deprivation. The condition develops when contractions, cord problems, or placental issues interrupt blood flow and allow acidic waste to build in the bloodstream. Severe or prolonged acidosis can injure the brain within minutes, making rapid medical intervention essential.
What Causes Fetal Acidosis During Childbirth?
Fetal acidosis almost always starts with reduced oxygen. Common delivery-room causes include:
- Umbilical cord complications – compression, prolapse, or a tight nuchal cord that strangles oxygen flow.
- Placental insufficiency or abruption – an aging or detached placenta starves the fetus of blood.
- Prolonged or obstructed labor – macrosomia, shoulder dystocia, or cephalopelvic disproportion traps the baby and squeezes the cord.
- Abnormal fetal position – breech or transverse presentations delay delivery.
- Multiple births – twins or triplets increase hypoxia risk.
- Maternal blood-pressure crises – untreated pre-eclampsia or epidural-related hypotension slashes placental perfusion.
Skilled obstetric staff can foresee these dangers and act, often with an emergency C-section, before acidosis becomes permanent injury.
Are There Uncommon Triggers of Fetal Acidosis?
Rare obstetric catastrophes can also spark acidemia:
- Uterine rupture tears the womb and halts oxygen in seconds.
- Vasa previa places fragile fetal vessels across the cervix that may rupture during labor.
- Severe chorioamnionitis inflames membranes and compromises oxygen exchange.
- True cord knots tighten during contractions.
- Maternal cardiac arrest or trauma abruptly ends placental flow.
A Severn fetal acidosis attorney knows how to trace each of these rare paths to liability when providers fail to respond.
What Signs Should Doctors Watch For?
Abnormal data should never be ignored. Warning signs include:
- Non-reassuring fetal heart tracings—persistent late decelerations or bradycardia.
- Decreased fetal movement reported by Mom.
- Meconium-stained amniotic fluid indicating fetal stress.
Diagnosis is confirmed through fetal scalp blood gas sampling during labor or umbilical cord blood gases after birth. A low pH or high lactate signals toxic acidity.
How Should Medical Teams Prevent or Treat Acidosis?
Swift action saves babies. Standard care demands:
- Give the mother oxygen and IV fluids to boost fetal oxygenation.
- Reposition the mother to relieve cord pressure.
- Discontinue labor-inducing drugs if contractions are too intense.
- Order an emergency C-section when heart tracings fail to improve.
- Provide therapeutic hypothermia and NICU care after delivery to limit brain injury.
Failure to follow these steps can convert a treatable emergency into lifelong disability.
When Does Fetal Acidosis Become Medical Malpractice?
Medical malpractice occurs when caregivers breach the standard of care and cause harm. Typical breaches include:
- Ignoring fetal heart rate alarms.
- Delaying a necessary C-section.
- Over-using Pitocin without monitoring.
- Failing to relieve a compressed cord.
- Skipping prenatal tests that reveal placental insufficiency.
A Severn birth injury lawyer proves negligence by gathering records, consulting experts, and showing that proper care would have prevented brain damage.
What Injuries Can Fetal Acidosis Cause?
Oxygen-starved blood harms delicate organs. Possible outcomes are:
- Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
- Cerebral palsy and motor deficits
- Seizure disorders
- Cognitive and developmental delays
- Vision or hearing loss
- Organ damage or death
These conditions often require lifelong therapy, adaptive equipment, and specialized schooling.
What Compensation Is Available?
Maryland law allows parents to recover:
- Economic damages – past and future medical bills, in-home nursing, therapy, equipment, home modifications, lost income. These amounts are uncapped.
- Non-economic damages – pain, suffering, disability, and emotional distress, capped at about $905,000 for 2025 filings.
An experienced Severn medical malpractice lawyer at our firm works with economists and life-care planners to calculate every dollar your child will need.
How Our Severn Fetal Acidosis Attorneys Build Your Case
Our investigation is exhaustive.
- Collecting records. We secure prenatal charts, fetal monitor strips, and NICU notes.
- Engaging experts. OB-GYNs, neonatologists, and neurologists pinpoint each breach.
- Identifying defendants. We pursue negligent doctors, nurses, and the hospital under vicarious liability.
- Proving damages. Life-care experts forecast future costs; economists translate them into present-day dollars.
- Managing procedure. We file the Maryland Certificate of Merit, meet statute deadlines, and, when insurers stall, present a compelling story to the jury.
While we litigate, you focus on your child’s healing.
Why Hire Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A.?
Experience wins birth-injury cases. Our Severn fetal acidosis lawyers have:
- 35+ years of birth-injury focus.
- Hundreds of millions recovered across Maryland and the nation.
- An in-house medical team that spots details others miss.
- Reputation in Anne Arundel County courts that pressures insurers to settle fairly.
- Client-centered care—we return calls, explain jargon, and treat you like family.
Other Severn birth injury attorneys may promise results; we deliver them.
Contact a Severn Fetal Acidosis Lawyer Today
Time limits apply. Maryland generally requires malpractice claims to be filed within three years of discovery and no later than a child’s 11th birthday, so swift action protects your rights. Speak with a Severn fetal acidosis attorney at Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. today.
Call (443) 909-2792 or fill out our confidential form. Let us shoulder the legal burden so you can concentrate on your child’s future. Your family deserves answers, accountability, and hope. Reach out now.