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 (410) 234-1000 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.
