Thanks to advances in modern medicine, the number of birth injuries has decreased dramatically. However, more than a hundred thousand mothers and newborns still suffer from preventable injuries during childbirth every year in the United States1.
One potentially deadly injury to newborn babies that could be prevented through careful monitoring and regular tests is fetal acidosis. Fetal acidosis is a medical term used to describe high levels of acidity in the blood and tissue of a fetus. This happens when the fetus does not get adequate levels of oxygen from the mother through the umbilical cord. Depending on the severity of the acidosis, it could result in permanent brain damage and even death.
In many cases, fetal acidosis could have been prevented with monitoring and care throughout the delivery. When an obstetrician, nurse, or medical facility fails to act in a reasonable manner that prevents injury, they could be sued for medical negligence.
Learn more about how parents of children with fetal acidosis have filed lawsuits and received compensation for injuries.