The effects of maternal health and body condition on the endocrine responses of neonatal foals

Abstract

Disturbances in neonatal pancreatic beta cell function programmed during pregnancy may predispose foals to metabolic problems in later life.

The effect of mare obesity and endocrine function on foal birthweight in Thoroughbreds

“…This finding is in contrast to previous studies which suggested that equine offspring size and development did not alter with maternal obesity or overnutrition [8][9][10]. In the present study, mares were fed by the stud aiming to maintain a stable BCS, whereas in all previous studies mares of normal BCS have been fed to induce obesity during gestation [8,48]. In the present study, mares were fed by the stud aiming to maintain a stable BCS, whereas in all previous studies mares of normal BCS have been fed to induce obesity during gestation [8,48].…”

“…Increased foal birthweight may have important consequences. In horses, maternal nutrition and fetal overgrowth has been associated with altered insulin function in the neonatal period [13,48,52,53]. In horses, maternal nutrition and fetal overgrowth has been associated with altered insulin function in the neonatal period [13,48,52,53].…”

“…In other mammalian species maternal obesity leads to increased fetal size [4][5][6][7]. However, the effects of maternal obesity in horses are not fully understood and studies suggest instead that maternal overnutrition either does not alter foal size or has no detrimental effects [8][9][10]. In man and experimental animal studies, maternal obesity and resultant increased offspring birthweight are associated with lifelong adverse health effects [11,12].…”

Maternal Nutrition during Pregnancy Affects Testicular and Bone Development, Glucose Metabolism and Response to Overnutrition in Weaned Horses Up to Two Years

“…Moreover, cardiovascular function, glucose homeostasis and endocrine function were altered until weaning [6–12]. Despite the fact that severe maternal undernutrition at mid-gestation related to an infection with Streptococcus equi was shown in one study to induce intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR) [13], most other studies on effects of maternal nutrition indicate that moderate maternal nutritional excess or undernutrition in gestation does not affect birthweight [14–18]. Nevertheless, excess maternal nutrition during pregnancy, with or without carbohydrate supplementation, can affect glucose and lipid metabolism in foals until 160 days of age [13,15,17].…”

“…Despite the fact that severe maternal undernutrition at mid-gestation related to an infection with Streptococcus equi was shown in one study to induce intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR) [13], most other studies on effects of maternal nutrition indicate that moderate maternal nutritional excess or undernutrition in gestation does not affect birthweight [14–18]. Nevertheless, excess maternal nutrition during pregnancy, with or without carbohydrate supplementation, can affect glucose and lipid metabolism in foals until 160 days of age [13,15,17]. Moreover, an epidemiological study performed in Belgium in a large cohort of horses demonstrated that the incidence of osteochondrosis (OC) is higher in foals born to dams fed concentrates during gestation compared to foals whose dams received forage only [19].…”