Stillbirths, Mummies, Abortions, and Early Embryonic Death

Christianson, William T.

doi:10.1016/s0749-0720(15)30708-8

Cited by 78 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…The average number of mummies per litter in the present study was well above the <0.2% considered normal for commercial pig farms (Christianson 1992). Probably the number of mummies found in the present study reflected clinical signs associated with an infectious agent.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 62%

Effect of climate and insemination technique on reproductive performance of gilts and sows in a subtropical zone of Mexico

Mellado

Gaytán

Macías‐Cruz

et al. 2018

Austral j. vet. sci.

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ABSTRACT. The objective of this study was to analyse the reproductive performance of hybrid (Yorkshire x Landrace) gilts/ sows in relation to temperature-humidity index (THI) at artificial insemination (AI), season of AI, occurrence of estrus >8 d postweaning, repeated estrus, insemination technique (cervical, CAI or post-cervical, PCAI) and parity. Data included 8851 reproductive records (1771 for gilts and 7080 for sows) from a pig farm in a sub-tropical zone (THI ranged from 72.9 in January to 81.8 in June). A decrease in pregnancy rate (PR, 89.8 vs 93.0%; P<0.01) and a tendency to decline farrowing rate (FR, 87.9 vs 90.3%; P=0.07) following AI during high THI (>82), compared to AI at <74 THI were observed. The spring and summer season were associated with decreased (P<0.01) PR compared with fall and winter (90.0% vs 93.0%). Likewise, FR decreased in spring and summer compared to fall and winter (88.5% vs. 90.9%). FR was higher (P<0.01) in non-repeat breeders compared with that of repeat-breeders (90.3% vs 76.2%). Litter size increased (P<0.01) from 10.8 ± 3.2 to 11.1 ± 3.1 pigs when the interval from weaning to estrus was >8 d. The insemination technique did not affect PR and FR but the litter size decreased (P<0.05) from 11.3 ± 3.0 to 11.1 ± 2.9 pigs when PCAI was used compared to CAI. This study reaffirms the negative effects of the hot season on reproductive performance of gilts/sows, although thermal stress at AI did not cause foetal losses. Also, there is no advantage in using the PCAI as compared to the CAI in gilts/sows with high numbers of sperm cells per AI.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 62%

Effect of climate and insemination technique on reproductive performance of gilts and sows in a subtropical zone of Mexico

Mellado

Gaytán

Macías‐Cruz

et al. 2018

Austral j. vet. sci.

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“…Sows having less than four viable embryos in the uterus at the 12th day of the cycle will not maintain pregnancy and can return to oestrus around D21 [25]. Since preimplantation embryos before 14 days of age are totally resorbed within 5 days after embryonic death [26], it was impossible to detect or analyse any embryonic remnants of embryos that died before the 12th day of the cycle at the end of the experiment (D21). Although hard conclusions concerning the cause of these early embryonic deaths cannot be drawn, it is expected that PCV2 infection was involved.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of a porcine circovirus type 2 infection on embryos during early pregnancy

et al. 2007

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The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) on porcine embryos and their receptor sows during the first 21 days of pregnancy. Hatched blastocysts exposed to 10 5.0 TCID 50 PCV2 per ml (strain 1121, fifth passage PK15) and negative control embryos were transferred to PCV2-immune receptor sows at the 7th day of the cycle. Two weeks after transfer (D21), the receptor sows were euthanized and embryos were recovered. They were assessed macroscopically for viability and examined for viral antigen-positive cells by immunoperoxidase staining. The embryonic survival rate of the PCV2-exposed embryos (6.4%, 7 viable embryos out of 110 transferred) was significantly lower than the survival rate of the negative control embryos (65.4%, 34 viable embryos out of 52 transferred). All of the non-viable PCV2-exposed embryos (n = 9) displayed immunohistochemical positive signals for PCV2-antigen in degenerated tissues. In the PCV2-exposed embryos that were categorized as viable at D21, small clusters (n = 4) or no PCV2-positive cells (n = 3) were detected. The pregnancy results of the receptor sows that received PCV2-exposed embryos (1/5) were considerably different from the negative control receptors (2/2), with 3 out of 5 sows displaying a regular return to oestrus.In conclusion, it can be stated that PCV2 can replicate in embryos and might lead to embryonic death. In a small proportion of embryos, PCV2 exposure does not have a detrimental effect on embryo development before D21. #

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“…These intra-partum deaths will be referred to as 'stillbirth' hereafter, in accordance with Christianson (1992). Thanks to intensive supervision, piglet stillbirth could be Canario, Rydhmer, Gogué, Tribout and Bidanel precisely defined and determined: a stillborn was an apparently full-term foetus that made no visible movement after birth.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimation of genetic trends from 1977 to 1998 for farrowing characteristics in the French Large White breed using frozen semen

Canario

Rydhmer

Gogué³

et al. 2007

Animal

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The objective of the study was to estimate genetic trends from 1977 to 1998 in the French Large White (LW) breed for stillbirth and associated traits measured at farrowing using frozen semen. Two groups of pigs (G77 and G98) were obtained by inseminating LW sows with semen from LW boars born either in 1977 or in 1998. A second generation was produced by inter se mating in each group. Farrowing was thoroughly supervised through both direct observations and video recording all long farrowing on a total of 137 first-and second-parity litters produced by sows from this second generation (68 G77 and 69 G98 litters, respectively). Measurements included birth time, weight and birth characteristics (including orientation, presence of cyanosis or oedema, membrane obstruction, umbilical cord length/content) of each piglet, as well as sow traits (weight and backfat thickness, farrowing duration, litter size and within-litter variation of weights at birth). The data were analysed using linear or generalised linear mixed models, according to the definition of the trait (continuous or binary data). The importance of several effects to piglet probability of stillbirth was then quantified by computing the reduction of variance associated with the addition of each effect in the model. Litter size did not significantly differ in first parity, but was higher in G98 second-parity sows: the differences for global (including pre partum dead piglets) and total numbers of piglets born per litter were 12.3 6 1.1 and 11.3 6 0.6, respectively. G98 sows also had a higher number of stillbirths in both parities (10.7 6 0.3 stillborn per litter). Piglets from G98 litters were heavier at birth (1130 6 40 g for birth weight adjusted for litter size), without any increase in within-litter heterogeneity of birth weight. No significant difference was detected between G77 and G88 groups for farrowing length and the distribution of time interval between piglet births. G98 stillborn piglets had longer and more often empty umbilical cords at birth. G98 piglets born alive also had more often umbilical nodes than G77 piglets. These characteristics were considered as indicators of increased farrowing difficulties and risk of hypoxia at birth in G98 pigs. Time of birth of each piglet, sow fatness at farrowing and time of first placenta expulsion were the main factors of variation of the piglet's probability of stillbirth.

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Stillbirths, Mummies, Abortions, and Early Embryonic Death

Cited by 78 publications

References 14 publications

Effect of climate and insemination technique on reproductive performance of gilts and sows in a subtropical zone of Mexico

Effect of climate and insemination technique on reproductive performance of gilts and sows in a subtropical zone of Mexico

Effect of a porcine circovirus type 2 infection on embryos during early pregnancy

Estimation of genetic trends from 1977 to 1998 for farrowing characteristics in the French Large White breed using frozen semen

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