Piglets born with a high degree of meconium staining display altered behaviourthroughout lactation

摘要

Piglets may experience asphyxia during parturition. In some, this results in anoxia and the piglet is still born. For others, the degree of asphyxia is less severe and the piglets are born alive, but may suffer organ damage. The brain is particularlysusceptible to hypoxia, and induced asphyxia at birth has been shown to alter cognitive ability in guinea pigs (Becker and Donnell 1952). Hence, hypoxic piglets may display behavioural deficiencies. In the present study it was hypothesised that piglets exposed to birth hypoxia would be more anxious than normoxic piglets.