Foramen Ovale Measurements and Venous Hemodynamic Changes Assessed by Inferior Vena Cava Doppler Parameters in Early-...

Background: Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a major contributor to adverse perinatal outcomes and is primarily driven by placental insufficiency and chronic fetal hypoxia. While arterial Doppler abnormalities are widely used in clinical surveillance, less is known about venous hemodynamics and intracardiac structural adaptations in FGR. In particular, the clinical relevance of foramen ovale (FO) morphometry and inferior vena cava (IVC) Doppler parameters in different FGR phenotypes remains incompletely understood. This study aimed to evaluate FO measurements and IVC Doppler indices in early- and late-onset FGR and to investigate their associations with adverse perinatal outcomes. Methods: This prospective observational study included 240 singleton pregnancies: 120 fetuses with FGR and 120 gestational age-matched appropriate-for-gestational-age controls. FGR was defined according to Delphi consensus criteria and classified as early onset (<32 weeks) or late onset (≥32 weeks). Ultrasonographic assessment included FO and right atrium dimensions, FO-to-right atrium (FO/RA) ratio, IVC diameter, and IVC Doppler indices (pulsatility index [PI], preload index [PLI], and peak velocity index for veins [PVIV]). A composite adverse perinatal outcome (CAPO) was recorded. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and multivariable logistic regression were performed. Results: Compared with controls, fetuses with FGR exhibited significantly smaller FO dimensions, lower FO/RA ratios, reduced IVC diameters, and higher IVC Doppler indices (all p < 0.05). The FO/RA ratio demonstrated the highest discriminative performance for CAPO (AUC 0.722). In multivariable analysis, a 0.1-unit increase in the FO/RA ratio was independently associated with a reduced risk of CAPO (OR 0.57), whereas higher IVC PI values were associated with an increased risk (OR 2.64). IVC Doppler alterations were less pronounced in early-onset FGR. Conclusions: FO morphometry and IVC Doppler parameters reflect complementary stages of fetal cardiovascular adaptation in fetal growth restriction, with FO changes representing early adaptive responses and IVC Doppler alterations indicating more advanced hemodynamic compromise, and this may provide additional value for perinatal risk stratification.