ABSTRACT
Background/Objectives: To date, not many studies have been conducted to examine the role of COVID-19 on gestation and fetal development. During COVID-19, pregnant women had difficulty accessing prenatal screening and care due to pandemics restrictions and lockdowns. In this retrospective study we aimed to assess the effect of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak on fetal development in both prenatal and postnatal outcomes pre-and pre-COVID-19 pandemics in Northern Cyprus. Method(s): A total number of 61 aborted materials were karyotyped during the pre-pandemic period (January 2017 and March 2020) whereas 24 samples were analysed during the peripandemic period (March 2020-November 2021). On the other hand, 25 new-borns blood samples during the pre-pandemic and 44 samples during the pre-pandemic period were analysed. Result(s): No statistically significant difference found in health and abnormal aborted material karyotypes between two periods. On the other hand, a statistical significance was observed in postnatal chromosomal abnormalities (P = 0.04) after two long pandemic lockdowns, which are known as the first and the second waves, dramatically indicating that no baby with Down syndrome was between 2017-2020 whereas seven babies with Down Syndrome were born as consequences of without taking precaution against lockdowns. Conclusion(s): Overall, prenatal care is failed which resulting increased postnatal chromosomal abnormality due to heavy flight restrictions, economic inflation instability, limited access to medical services during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in Northern Cyprus.