Gaithersburg fetal acidosis lawyer Jonathan Schochor has spent four decades guiding families through the darkest moments after a birth injury. Kerry Staton, a nationally recognized birth injury trial lawyer, pairs that experience with a record of multiple eight-figure verdicts. Together, we at Schochor, Staton, Goldberg & Cardea, P.A. focus every resource on protecting children hurt by oxygen deprivation during labor.
Our mission is simple. We fight for justice while showing families the compassion they deserve. From the first call to our free consultation line (410) 234-1000, we listen, explain, and act. We regularly travel the I-270 corridor to meet parents in Gaithersburg, and we know the staff, procedures, and record-keeping systems in Montgomery County hospitals. That local knowledge lets our Gaithersburg birth injury attorneys build strong, fact-driven cases fast.
Understanding Fetal Acidosis
Fetal acidosis is a dangerous rise in acid levels in a baby’s blood when oxygen runs short. The condition usually develops during labor or delivery and is often signaled by a pH below 7.35. Oxygen starvation sets off a cascade of cellular damage that can injure a newborn’s brain in minutes.
Fetal acidosis matters because it is an unmistakable sign of severe fetal distress. Modern monitors, scalp pH sampling, and real-time heart rate tracings give care teams the tools to detect the problem early. When those warnings go unanswered, injuries follow, and a Gaithersburg fetal acidosis attorney like Kerry Staton is often called to uncover why.
At Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center and other Montgomery County facilities, continuous heart-rate monitoring is standard. If fetal acidosis appears, providers must react immediately. Delay is rarely excusable.
Causes and Prevention of Fetal Acidosis
Oxygen loss drives fetal acidosis. The most common triggers include:
- Umbilical cord problems. Compression, prolapse, or a nuchal cord can pinch off oxygen within seconds.
- Placental insufficiency. An aging, infected, or pre-eclamptic placenta may starve the fetus of oxygen for hours.
- Prolonged or obstructed labor. Shoulder dystocia, cephalopelvic disproportion, tachysystole from misused Pitocin, and macrosomia all elevate risk.
- Maternal crises. Severe hypotension, respiratory failure, or unmanaged pre-eclampsia directly reduce fetal oxygen.
Most cases are preventable. Careful heart rate monitoring should reveal early decelerations that warn of acidosis. Providers can give the mother oxygen, reposition her, stop labor-inducing drugs, or move swiftly to a C-section. When the warning signs are ignored, fetal acidosis lawyer Jonathan Schochor looks for negligent conduct such as unread strips, broken monitors, or stalled decision-making.
Montgomery County welcomed 11,700 newborns in 2023, and Shady Grove alone handled roughly 4,500 deliveries. With birth so common, vigilance must be routine.
Injuries and Complications Linked to Fetal Acidosis
Oxygen deprivation damages delicate newborn tissues. The longer the acid build-up, the more severe the injuries:
- Cerebral palsy (CP). Permanent movement and muscle-control disorders trace back to hypoxic brain injury.
- Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Acute brain damage can lead to cognitive impairment or developmental delays.
- Neonatal seizures and epilepsy. Oxygen-starved neurons fire abnormally, causing immediate or lifelong seizure disorders.
- Motor, speech, and developmental delays. Missed milestones often emerge within a child’s first two years.
- Organ damage. Heart, kidneys, and liver may suffer ischemic injury.
- Vision or hearing loss. Sensory centers in the brain are especially vulnerable.
- Paralysis. Severe spastic quadriplegia can result from widespread brain insult.
- Stillbirth or neonatal death. Extreme acidosis can be fatal within minutes.
Uncommon but serious long-term effects include learning disabilities, behavioral disorders, chronic respiratory issues, and oral-motor feeding difficulties. Each outcome brings lifelong care costs that a Gaithersburg birth injury attorney must calculate.
