BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article
Front. Med.
Sec. Obstetrics and Gynecology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1581322
Pregnancy outcomes and early infancy physical growth of fetal situs inversus during the COVID-19 pandemic
Provisionally accepted
- 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shenzhen Hospital, Peking University, Shenzhen, China
- 2Prenatal Diagnosis Center, Boai Hospital of Zhongshan, Zhongshan, China
- 3Department of Ultrasonography, Shenzhen Hospital, Peking University, Shenzhen, Beijing Municipality, China
- 4Department of Obstetrics, Boai Hospital of Zhongshan, Zhongshan, China
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Objective: This research aimed to observe the pregnancy outcomes and early infancy physical growth of fetal situs inversus detected in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in two centers in south China. Methods: Data were collected on pregnant women with fetal situs inversus from March 2023 to May 2024. Systemic structured ultrasound, clinical manifestation and genetical tests were conducted. Statistical analysis was performed. Z scores of head circumference, weight and length of the infants were calculated with PediTools Electronic Growth Chart Calculators. Results: Twenty-seven patients with fetal situs inversus were detected, situs inversus with dextrocardia was the most common category of all cases (23/27, 85.2%). Incidence rate of fetal situs inversus in Center 1 increased more than six-fold in 2023 than the median incidence of the previous years (1.75‰ versus 0.25‰, P=0.000), while in Center 2 the increase was not so obvious (1.22‰ versus 0.51‰, P=0.011). Fifteen newborns with situs inversus totalis (SIT) were delivered (15/27, 55.6%) and mostly were alive and reached their normal growth milestones. Eleven pregnancies underwent therapeutic abortion, and one pregnant woman receipt twin reduction surgery of one of the cotwin (12/27, 44.4%). Z scores evaluation show that there was no abnormal early physical growth in weight, head circumference and length of the infants with SIT. Conclusion: Situs inversus with dextrocardia had a relatively well pregnancy outcome in non-complicated cases. Abnormal early infancy physical growth in weight, head circumference and length of the infants with SIT was not observed in the study.
Keywords: Pregnancy, Situs Inversus, Dextrocardia, Infant, Physical growth, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), SARS-CoV-2
Received: 22 Feb 2025; Accepted: 19 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Dong, Li, Chen, Cai and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yongke Zhang, yongkeezhang@hotmail.com
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