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The piglet’s fetal growth is highly dependant on its placenta, and the newborn piglet birth weight is highly associated with post partum death. However, there is little information available in the literature on the assessment of the placenta in relation to post partum death in piglets.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the placental area and placental weight, status of the umbilical cord, and piglet birth characteristics, such as blood parameters, vitality score, and birth weight upon post partum death. All live born piglets in litters from 26 Landrace-Yorkshire sows were monitored during farrowing and the status of each was recorded, including placental area and placental weight and blood parameters obtained from the piglets and umbilical veins.
Out of the 386 live born piglets, 16.8% died before weaning at 5 wk. Among these, 78.5% died within the first 3 days of life. Mean blood level of lactate was increased in piglets that did not survive to weaning (P = 0.003). Concentrations of hemoglobin and hematocrit were decreased (P < 0.001) compared with survivors. Piglets born with a broken umbilical cord, had a reduced vitality score vs. piglets born with an intact umbilical cord (P = 0.021), and they had an increased probability of dying before weaning (P = 0.050). Mean birth weight, body mass index, placental area (P < 0.001), and placental weight (P = 0.020) were reduced in piglets which died before weaning vs. those that survived. Birth weight and placental area were furthermore negatively associated with live litter size. Blood levels of immunoglobulin G and albumin recorded at d 1 were decreased in piglets that died before weaning (P < 0.01), and blood level of albumin was positively associated with placental area (P < 0.001).
We conclude that placental area and placental weight, status of the umbilical cord, birth weight, body mass index, blood levels of lactate, hemoglobin, and hematocrit recorded at birth, and blood levels of immunoglobulin G and albumin recorded at d 1 were associated with post partum death in this study.
These results may indicate that there is an upper uterine limitation of litter size, and that placental area and placental weight influence post partum survival.
Post partum deaths; piglet, placental, and umbilical characteristics. V. Rootwelt, O. Reksen, W. Farstad and T. Framstad. J Anim Sci. March 12, 2013 doi: 10.2527/jas.2012-5531
