Background Fetal laterality disorders are rare congenital anomalies including situs inversus, partial heterotaxy, and heterotaxy syndrome. They are associated with increased risks of conditions such as congenital heart defects and primary ciliary dyskinesia. Recent studies have suggested a rise in the incidence of situs inversus following the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to investigate trends in the incidence of fetal laterality disorders before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods This study included all pregnant women who underwent fetal ultrasound examinations between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2024, at 15 hospitals in various regions of Fujian Province, a coastal southeastern city in China. Regions included Eastern Fujian, Southern Fujian, Western Fujian, Northern Fujian, and Central Fujian. The annual incidence of fetal laterality disorders was observed, and the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and the incidence of these disorders was assessed. Results The total number of deliveries across the 15 hospitals was 721,562. Between 2017 and 2024, 566 cases of fetal visceral laterality disorders were diagnosed by prenatal ultrasound, including 178 cases of complete situs inversus, 139 cases of partial situs inversus, and 249 cases of heterotaxy syndrome (HS). During the COVID-19 infection period, the incidence of fetal laterality disorders showed an increasing trend from 2020 to 2024 ( P 0.05). Further analysis by time period revealed that the incidence during the Dynamic Zero-COVID Period (2020–2022) was 6.10 per 10,000 live births (95% CI: 5.18–7.02), which was lower than that during the pre-pandemic period (7.83 per 10,000 live births, 95% CI: 6.89–8.77). In contrast, during the post-policy adjustment period (2023–2024), the incidence increased to 10.61 per 10,000 live births (95% CI: 9.07–12.15), which was 1.4 times that of the pre-pandemic period, with the most noticeable increase observed in situs inversus. Geographically, the number of cases of fetal laterality disorders was higher in Southern Fujian and Eastern Fujian than in other regions. Conclusion This study suggests an increased incidence of fetal visceral laterality disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides insights for further related research.
Huang et al. (Thu,) studied this question.