Fetal acidosis is a devastating birth injury that can change a family’s future in a heartbeat. Parents often discover the condition only after frantic hospital moments, unanswered questions, and vast medical bills. This page explains what went wrong, why it matters, and how the Maryland fetal acidosis attorneys at Schochor, Staton, Goldberg & Cardea, P.A. can help you fight for justice.
Call (443) 909-2792 now for a free, confidential consultation with Baltimore fetal acidosis lawyers Jonathan Schochor and Kerry Staton because your baby’s future deserves proven advocates.
Who Are Our Maryland Birth Injury Lawyers?
Baltimore fetal acidosis lawyer Jonathan Schochor and Maryland birth-injury attorney Kerry Staton have spent decades standing up to hospitals that fail newborns. Together, we have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for children harmed by preventable medical mistakes, including multi-million-dollar verdicts for oxygen-deprivation brain injuries.
Our approach is personal: you meet directly with an attorney, not an intake clerk, and we treat every case like it is the only one on our desks. From our office at 1211 St Paul St. in Baltimore, we serve families across the state with the utmost compassion.
What Is Fetal Acidosis and How Does It Occur?
Fetal acidosis happens when a baby’s blood becomes too acidic because oxygen cannot reach the cells. Doctors know trouble is brewing when umbilical cord pH drops below 7.2 and lactate spikes.
Oxygen normally travels from the mother’s lungs, through the placenta, and down the umbilical cord. Any interruption, such as compression, knot, or placental detachment, allows carbon dioxide and lactic acid to build up, lowering the pH and damaging fragile brain tissue.
What Common and Uncommon Factors Cause Fetal Acidosis?
Common causes include:
- Umbilical cord compression, prolapse, or tight nuchal cords (cord around the neck).
- Placental abruption or insufficiency.
- Difficult deliveries such as shoulder dystocia or malposition.
Uncommon or negligent scenarios include:
- Over-stimulation with Pitocin causing hyper-contracting uterus.
- Unrecognized maternal hypotension or severe preeclampsia.
- Delayed C-section despite non-reassuring fetal heart tracings.
- Equipment failure or misread monitor strips.
Medical standards require continuous fetal monitoring and timely intervention. Breaches at any stage can be fatal.
What Are the Signs, Symptoms, and Long-Term Effects of Fetal Acidosis?
At birth, a baby with acidosis often shows low Apgar scores, blue skin, limp muscles, or seizures. In the NICU, clinicians confirm the injury through arterial blood-gas tests and elevated lactate.
Long-term, untreated acidosis leads to HIE, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, organ damage, and lifelong therapy needs. Some infants will never walk, speak, or live independently.
Could Medical Negligence Cause Fetal Acidosis – and How?
Yes. Maryland law holds providers accountable when a reasonable doctor would have acted and they did not. Examples include ignoring decelerations on heart-rate strips, misusing vacuum extractors, or waiting too long to order an emergency C-section.
If that breach cut oxygen flow and directly caused injury, families can pursue a malpractice claim.
How Do I Prove a Fetal Acidosis Malpractice Case in Maryland?
A claimant must show duty, breach, causation, and damages. Key evidence includes monitor strips, cord-blood gases, operative reports, and expert testimony. Our team quickly secures records, consults obstetric specialists, and builds the timeline proving delay or error.
Maryland caps non-economic damages (≈ $875k in 2025), making it critical to document future care, rehab, and earning losses in full.
How Long Do I Have to File a Birth Injury Claim in Maryland?
Parents generally have three years from discovering the injury but no later than five years from the date of harm. Cases involving minors have unique tolling rules, yet early action safeguards evidence.
What Compensation Is Available for Fetal Acidosis Injuries?
Damages cover:
- Economic losses: lifetime medical care, therapy, adaptive equipment, special education, lost future wages.
- Non-economic losses: pain, suffering, loss of life enjoyment (subject to statutory caps).
Our Baltimore fetal acidosis attorneys have secured verdicts topping eight figures when life-care plans justify substantial future costs.
Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Birth Injury Due to Fetal Acidosis?
Liable parties may include obstetricians, attending nurses, midwives, anesthesiologists, or the hospital itself. Maryland hospitals also face vicarious liability for residents and techs under their supervision.
How Do I Start a Fetal Acidosis Lawsuit in Maryland?
Call us for a free evaluation at (443) 909-2792. We gather OB charts, monitor tapes, and imaging, then consult board-certified experts who pinpoint missed warning signs.
Our Baltimore birth-injury team guides families from intake through verdict or settlement on a contingency fee. No legal bills unless we win. We proudly serve downtown Baltimore, Towson, Columbia, Glen Burnie, and every Maryland county accessible from I-95, I-83, and I-695.
What Local Resources and Facts Should Maryland Parents Know?
High-risk deliveries often shift to Johns Hopkins, UMMC, Mercy, Sinai, or GBMC. Maryland records ≈ 68,000 births per year, and national estimates show tens of thousands of children suffer birth injuries annually.
Our office sits minutes from the Inner Harbor, and our attorneys volunteer with Maryland Patient Rights and United Cerebral Palsy.
Why Choose Schochor, Staton, Goldberg & Cardea, P.A.?
- Proven results: Baltimore fetal acidosis lawyer Jonathan Schochor and Maryland birth-injury attorney Kerry Staton have broken state records for medical malpractice verdicts.
- Defense insight: Both partners previously represented hospitals, so we know every defense tactic.
- Direct access: When you call, you reach Kerry Staton, a Baltimore fetal acidosis lawyer, or Jonathan Schochor—not a call center.
- Compassion: Families praise our empathy; we handle legal burdens so parents focus on healing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can fetal acidosis be prevented?
Early heart-rate monitoring, maternal oxygen, and prompt C-section can avert most cases.
How is fetal acidosis diagnosed?
Umbilical-cord blood gases showing pH < 7.2 or high lactate confirm acidosis.
What if the doctor says the baby was just “tired”?
Experienced counsel reviews strips and records; subtle distress often hides negligence.
Do I need the birth certificate to mention injury?
No. Medical charts carry greater evidentiary weight, and we subpoena them if needed.
How quickly should I call a lawyer?
Immediately. Evidence can fade, and timely action preserves your child’s rights.
Our goal is simple: secure the resources your child needs and hold negligent providers accountable. Call (443) 909-2792 today for a free, confidential case review.