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. 2011 Feb;52(2):136-41.

Assessment of fetal well-being in cattle by ultrasonography in normal, high-risk, and cloned pregnancies

Sébastien Buczinski  1 , Gilles Fecteau, Réjean C Lefebvre, Lawrence C Smith
Affiliations

Assessment of fetal well-being in cattle by ultrasonography in normal, high-risk, and cloned pregnancies

Sébastien Buczinski et al. Can Vet J. 2011 Feb.

Abstract
in English, French

This study determined ultrasonographic parameters of fetuses and uterine adnexa in late pregnancy in normal, cloned, and high-risk pregnancies in relation to perinatal and neonatal outcome. Ten cows with normal pregnancies (CONTROL, mean pregnancy length 273 d), 10 sick cows with potentially compromised pregnancies (HIGH-RISK, mean pregnancy length 267 d), and 10 heifers with cloned pregnancies (CLONED, mean pregnancy length 274 d) were examined at more than 260 d of gestation. There was no difference in mean fetal heart rates among the groups. The cloned calves were heavier (57 ± 8 kg) than calves from CONTROL group (36 ± 7 kg), and calves from HIGH-RISK group (37 ± 13 kg) (P = 0.003). The diameter of the thoracic aorta was positively correlated (R = 0.62) with fetal birth weight in the CONTROL group (P = 0.01). Fetal activity was not associated with survival. The results suggest that transabdominal ultrasonographic assessment of the fetal well-being may serve as a potential tool for evaluation of the fetoplacental unit.

Évaluation par échographie du bien-être fœtal chez le bétail pour des gestations normales, à risque élevé et celles d’animaux clonés. Cette étude a déterminé les paramètres échographiques des fœtus et des annexes utérines à la fin de la gestation pour des gestations normales et à risque élevé par rapport aux résultats périnataux et néonataux. Dix vaches avec des gestations normales (TÉMOIN, durée moyenne de la gestation de 273 jours), 10 vaches malades avec des gestations potentiellement compromises (RISQUE ÉLEVÉ, durée moyenne de gestation de 267 jours) et 10 génisses avec des grossesses d’animaux clonés (CLONÉS, durée moyenne de gestation de 274 jours) ont été examinées à plus de 260 jours de gestation. Il n’y avait aucune différence au niveau des rythmes cardiaques fœtaux moyens parmi les groupes. Les veaux clonés étaient plus lourds (57 ± 8 kg) que les veaux du groupe TÉMOIN (36 ± 7 kg) et que les veaux du groupe à RISQUE ÉLEVÉ (37 ± 13 kg) (P = 0,003). Le diamètre de l’aorte thoracique présentait une corrélation positive (R = 0,62) avec le poids fœtal à la naissance du groupe TÉMOIN (P = 0,01). L’activité fœtale n’était pas associée à la survie. Les résultats suggèrent qu’une évaluation transabdominale du bien-être fœtal peut servir d’outil potentiel pour l’évaluation de l’unité fœto-placentaire.

(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières)

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Anatomic topography of the gravid uterus in bovine late pregnancy (right lateral and transversal views). Adapted from Barone (18). The gravid uterus (white area with black dots) in the late pregnancy is occupying the ventral right flank (A). A transverse view at the level of the third lumbar vertebra shows that the gravid uterus extends on the left side of the linea alba and up to the mid right flank. The dotted lines show how the division of the uterine quadrants was determined for the placentome measurements. The cranial and caudal parts of the uterus are represented (A) as well as the axial and abaxial sides of the gravid uterus (B).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Association between thoracic aortic diameters determined by transabdominal ultrasonography and newborn body weight in CONTROL (n = 8), HIGH-RISK (n = 3), and CLONED pregnancies (n = 3). This figure represents the 14 cases in which both the fetal aortic diameter (Ao) and the birth weight (BW) were available. The regression curve has been drawn on the graphs for the fetuses of CONTROL (♦) pregnancies in which a positive correlation (R = 0.62; P = 0.01) between Ao and BW was observed. Fetuses from the CONTROL (♦), HIGH-RISK (▪), and CLONED groups (▴) are represented. No association was found between Ao and BW in fetuses from HIGH-RISK or CLONED group.
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