Experiencing a medical crisis during childbirth is overwhelming. Fetal acidosis, an unsafe rise in acid levels in a newborn’s blood when oxygen runs low, can turn what should be a joyful day into months of fear and uncertainty.
Our attorneys at Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. have spent four decades helping families in Dundalk, Baltimore County, and across Maryland understand what happened, why it happened, and how to secure the resources their children will need for life-long care.
all Dundalk fetal-acidosis attorneys Jonathan Schochor or Kerry Staton at (443) 909-2792, or send us a secure message right now.
What Is Fetal Acidosis and Why Does It Happen?
Fetal acidosis occurs when a baby does not receive enough oxygen before or during birth, causing carbon dioxide and lactic acid to build up in the bloodstream. Common medical triggers include umbilical cord compression or prolapse, prolonged or obstructed labor such as shoulder dystocia, placental insufficiency or abruption, and failure to respond quickly when electronic fetal monitors show distress.
Multiple births and very large babies (macrosomia) place additional stress on oxygen delivery. Because Dundalk area hospitals follow statewide protocols for continuous heart-rate monitoring, providers should detect warning signs early and intervene before permanent harm occurs.
Is Fetal Acidosis a Preventable Birth Injury?
Many episodes of fetal acidosis can be avoided with diligent care. When obstetric teams monitor heart-rate tracings, guard against dangerous contractions, or perform a prompt emergency C-section, oxygen levels usually stabilize. Negligence arises when professionals ignore abnormal tracings, misuse labor-inducing drugs, delay necessary surgery, or overlook prenatal conditions such as maternal diabetes or pre-eclampsia. If proper steps could have spared your baby from acidosis, Maryland law allows families to hold every responsible provider accountable.
What Signs of Fetal Distress Should Doctors Catch?
Abnormal heart rate patterns such as late decelerations, bradycardia, or tachycardia are the earliest red flags. Other danger signals include meconium-stained amniotic fluid, reduced fetal movement, intense uterine contractions, or maternal bleeding that suggests placental abruption.
During labor, providers can confirm acidosis by sampling fetal scalp blood for low pH or by checking umbilical cord gases after delivery. Immediate responses like maternal oxygen, IV fluids, repositioning, or emergency C-section are the standard of care when these signs appear. Failure to act within minutes can cause irreversible brain injury.
What Injuries Can Fetal Acidosis Cause to My Baby?
Oxygen deprivation harms the brain and every major organ. A baby may develop hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), cerebral palsy that limits muscle control, seizure disorders, cognitive delays, or sensory impairments such as vision or hearing loss.
Severe acidosis can damage the heart, kidneys, or lungs and, in tragic cases, prove fatal. Because 24-hour NICU bills and life-long therapy can easily exceed seven figures, financial recovery is essential to secure specialized care, adaptive equipment, and accessible housing.
Could My Doctor or Hospital Have Prevented These Injuries?
Medical providers owe every mother and child a duty to meet the accepted standard of care. Obstetricians, nurses, anesthesiologists, and even hospital administrators may breach that duty by understaffing labor units, using faulty monitors, allowing maternal blood pressure to drop during anesthesia, or failing to escalate concerns up the chain of command.
If expert review shows that competent professionals would have delivered faster or intervened differently, liability rests with the individuals and institutions that fell short.
How Do I Prove a Fetal Acidosis Malpractice Case in Maryland?
Building a successful claim requires evidence of four elements: duty, breach, causation, and damages. We begin with a free consultation, gather complete medical records, and partner with board-certified obstetric and neonatal experts who sign the Certificate of Merit Maryland law requires.
Our legal team then files suit, conducts discovery, and prepares persuasive testimony on how the delay or mismanagement directly caused your child’s condition. Most cases settle, but Dundalk fetal acidosis attorney Jonathan Schochor and Dundalk birth-injury lawyer Kerry Staton have tried and won complex birth-trauma cases when hospitals refused fair compensation.
What Compensation Can I Recover for a Birth Injury in Dundalk?
Economic damages cover past NICU bills, future surgeries, therapy, mobility aids, home health aides, educational support, and parents’ lost income. Non-economic damages, capped statewide, address your child’s pain and loss of life’s pleasures. If acidosis led to wrongful death, funeral expenses and parents’ profound grief are recoverable. We work with life-care planners and economists to document every projected dollar so your verdict or settlement funds decades of care at facilities such as Kennedy Krieger Institute without jeopardizing household stability.
What Are Some Less-Common Causes of Fetal Acidosis?
Certain maternal emergencies, such as abrupt drops in blood pressure after an epidural or unmanaged severe pre-eclampsia, can silently deprive a fetus of oxygen. Excessive Pitocin may trigger uterine tachysystole that squeezes the cord.
Toxic exposure at industrial job sites in Dundalk or traumatic car crashes during pregnancy can also induce hypoxia. Systemic hospital failures such as broken monitors, untrained float nurses, or no obstetrician on call for a VBAC uterine rupture create risk even when individual doctors try their best. Our investigation leaves no scenario unexplored.
How Can a Dundalk Fetal Acidosis Lawyer Help My Family?
Birth-injury litigation is medical science translated into courtroom language. Dundalk fetal acidosis lawyer Jonathan Schochor leads a multidisciplinary team of attorneys, paralegals, and on-staff nurses who “speak doctor” and know how to expose deviations in electronic fetal monitor strips.
Kerry Staton, a Dundalk HIE attorney at Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, has secured multiple seven-figure results for families facing lifelong care costs. We collect and analyze every chart entry, cross-examine hospital risk managers, and negotiate relentlessly with insurers so you can focus on your child’s rehabilitation, not paperwork.
Can We Afford a Lawyer for a Birth Injury Case?
You pay nothing upfront. Our firm accepts fetal acidosis cases on a contingency fee basis, advancing expert fees and court costs and collecting a percentage only if we win. The initial consultation is free, and if we do not secure compensation, you owe us nothing. This arrangement aligns our interests with yours: we succeed only when your family is financially protected.
Why Choose Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea for Your Dundalk Birth-Injury Case?
Our practice has fought for patients’ rights since 1984. Dundalk fetal acidosis attorney Kerry Staton and Dundalk birth-asphyxia lawyer Jonathan Schochor have each been honored in Best Lawyers in America and named Maryland “Top 100” trial attorneys. We have recovered hundreds of millions for children harmed by medical negligence, including a recent $7 million settlement for a Baltimore County newborn whose delivery was delayed by 15 minutes. Clients praise our compassion as much as our courtroom skill:
“SSGC provided exceptional service with a perfect balance of professionalism and personable care. Their knowledgeable team explained every detail clearly, leaving no question unanswered. Their attention to detail and commitment to client success set them apart. Highly recommended for anyone seeking expert, legal guidance. Unmatched representation!” – David V.
Is There a Deadline to File a Lawsuit for a Birth Injury in Maryland?
Maryland generally requires malpractice claims to be filed within five years of the injury or three years from discovery, whichever is earlier. For children, the deadline often extends until the 11th birthday, but critical evidence can fade long before. Prompt legal action preserves electronic strips, witness memories, and the right to compensation.
How Do I Get Started?
Taking the first step is simple. Call (443) 909-2792 or use our secure online form to schedule a free, confidential consultation with a Dundalk fetal-acidosis attorney at Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A.
We can meet at our Baltimore office, visit your home, or come to the hospital, whatever eases your burden. There is no cost, no obligation, and no attorney fee unless we obtain a settlement or verdict. Your family has carried enough weight. Let us shoulder the legal fight and pursue the justice and security your child deserves.