USE OF OXYTOCIN DURING FARROWING: EFFECTS ON THE UMBILICAL CORD AND NEONATAL DEATHS IN PIGS

摘要

Despite technological advances and current drugs used during parturition, stillborn piglets remains a major problem in intensive managed pig farms. Stillbirths are of two types; type I includes fetuses that die before the end of gestation, usually ofinfectious causes and are known as prepartum or antepartum deaths. Type II are pigs that die during parturition of noninfectious causes and namely intrapartum deaths. From the noninfectious causes, the duration of farrowing influences the type II stillbirths rate. Asphyxia during parturition is one of the most important causes of intrapartum stillbirths. Oxytocin (OXY) is frequently used to decrease time to birth and also combined with various regimes of prostaglandin to induce farrowing. Unfortunately,oxytocin is overdosed or misused. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of two oxytocin products administered at the onset of fetal expulsion on the integrity of piglet umbilical cords, presence of meconium of their skin and the neonatalmortality.