Thursday, March 24 2005 11:43 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: A 25-year-old woman in Karur has delivered a baby boy with a condition known in medical terms as 'situs inversus totalis', in which all the organs that should normally be on the right side of the body are on the left, and those on the left on the right.

The heart, stomach and the spleen, normally on the left side, are on the right side in this case. The liver, gall bladder and the appendix, the right-sided organs are on the left in this baby, weighing 3250 grams and born in a private hospital in Karur, near Tiruchirappalli, on March 12.

Contacted by sources, Dr Ravi Rajasekar and Dr Preetha Ravi Rajasekhar, said that this condition was "very rare", one in every 10,000, but often under-diagnosed.

The mother, Revathy Ramalingam, who became pregnant for the second time, had regular antenatal care in the hospital. "She underwent second trimester scan in the hospital" when this condition was diagnosed. A complete foetal echo was done and heart defects were ruled out. Medical counselling was done with the parents and they decided to continue the pregnancy.

"The growth of the foetus was closely monitored and the mother was given proper antenatal care. The baby was delivered on March 12. After birth, the child was closely observed for one week when it underwent x-rays, ultra-sound, ECG.

The mother has been discharged now," the Doctors said, adding that they did not anticipate any complications in this child's case as it was only a "variation of normality."

Ravi Rajasekhar said there was a 67-year-old man in Karur with the same condition and he is still in good health.