Sternal recumbency or suspension by the hind legs immediately after delivery improves respiratory and metabolic adaptation to extra uterine life in newborn calves delivered by caesarean section

Abstract

-The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of body positioning immediately after delivery on respiratory and metabolic adaptation to extra-uterine life in newborn calves. One hundred and one Belgian White and Blue calves were delivered at term by an elective caesarean section and were assigned into three categories according to the body position imposed immediately after umbilical cord rupture: 71 calves were placed in lateral recumbency; 16 calves were placed in sternal recumbency and 14 calves were suspended by the hind legs for less than 90 seconds (75 ± 5 s). Following this initial body position, the calves were allowed to move without restraint. They were examined at birth, 5, 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes, and 2, 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours after birth by the following measurements: physical examination, heart rate, arterial blood gas analysis, pulmonary function tests using the esophageal balloon catheter technique, arterial and venous blood acid-base balance analysis, rectal temperature, jugular venous blood sampling for the determination of blood glucose, plasma lactate and serum cortisol concentrations, haematologic variables and passive immune transfer variables. Body positioning immediately after delivery clearly influenced respiratory and metabolic adaptation to extra-uterine life in term calves delivered by an elective caesarean section. Systematic sternal recumbency and suspension by the hind legs for less than 90 seconds immediately after umbilical cord rupture had a positive functional impact on postnatal pulmonary mechanics and gas exchange and on postnatal correction of mixed acidosis present at birth, contributing in turn to an enhanced passive immune transfer. These two body positions should be encouraged to improve adaptation at birth in healthy term calves delivered by an elective caesarean section. Evaluation of possible side-effects is required before application in severely asphyxiated calves. Résumé -Confiner le veau en décubitus sternal ou le suspendre par les membres postérieurs à la naissance améliore son adaptation respiratoire et métabolique à la vie extra-utérine. L'objectif de cette étude était d'évaluer l'effet du décubitus sternal ou de la suspension systématique par les membres postérieurs immédiatement à la naissance sur l'adaptation respiratoire et métabolique chez le veau nouveau-né sain. Cent et un veaux de race Blanc-Bleu Belge à terme nés par césarienne ont été répartis en trois catégories selon la position dans laquelle ils ont été délibérément placés immédiate-ment après la rupture du cordon ombilical. La première catégorie comprend les veaux placés en décu-bitus latéral (n = 71) ; la seconde, ceux placés en décubitus sternal (n = 16) ; et la troisième, les veaux suspendus par les membres postérieurs pendant moins d'une minute trente secondes (75 ± 5 s) (n = 14). Les veaux ont été examinés à la naissance, à l'âge de 5, 15, 30, 45 et 60 minutes, 2, 3, 6, 12 et 24 heures après la naissance au moyen des tests suivants: un examen clinique, une analyse des gaz sangu...

Calf health from birth to weaning. I. General aspects of disease prevention

“…Immediately after birth, calves suffering from mild fetal asphyxia should be hypothermally stimulated by pouring cold water over the head then suspended upside-down for up to a minute [39,40]. Once a patent airway has been established, the at-risk calf should be placed in sternal recumbence [39].…”

“…Once a patent airway has been established, the at-risk calf should be placed in sternal recumbence [39]. Mechanical ventilation should be implemented in cases which do not respond to these first aid measures [41].…”

Mechanical ventilation of a cloned calf in respiratory failure

“…Although the hypoxemia noted on the first ABG improved following oxygen therapy, early administration of oxygen to this calf may not have been the most appropriate therapy. Disease states resulting in good pulmonary perfusion with poor ventilation, such as incomplete lung expansion reported in calves delivered by C‐section, 7 may have been present. If this was the case, the administration of oxygen could have led to denitrogenation (absorption) atelectasis and further deterioration of lung function 22 .…”

“…[1][2][3][4] The precise etiology of this respiratory distress is not well understood. 2 It may be the result of lung immaturity, 3 pulmonary hypertension, [3][4][5][6] underexpanded lungs, 7 pulmonary bacterial infection, 3 respiratory acidosis, 3 or a combination of these problems. Different therapies such as intranasal oxygen or manually assisted ventilation after endotracheal intubation have been used to treat affected calves.…”

Consideraciones clínicas y regulación del equilibrio ácido-base en ganado bovino

“…Mecanismo respiratorio: Los terneros neonatos tienden hacia el estado de acidosis metabólica y respiratoria durante las horas iniciales postnatales (Hejlasz et al 1987;Bleul et al 2008), situación que se mejora mediante la colocación del ternero en recumbencia esternal o la suspensión de los miembros posteriores, facilitando su adaptación al nacimiento (Uystepruyst et al 2002).…”