Blood serum characteristics of newborn pigs: comparison of unaffected pigs with pigs belonging to five mortality groups

The blood serum levels of glucose, hemoglobin, insulin, cortisol, albumin, alpha-fetoprotein, alpha 2-macroglobulin f and s, alpha 2-antitrypsin inhibitor and alpha 1-protease inhibitor were determined at birth in 5 clinically and morphologically identified mortality groups of pigs. These were compared with the levels observed in unaffected, apparently normal newborn unsuckled pigs. The blood serum profile of the pigs in the stillborn intra partum, weak, splayleg and trauma groups, respectively, as well as that of clinically normal splayleg littermates, differed significantly from that of the unaffected pigs. This was especially true for the levels of hemoglobin and the two macroglobulins. The importance of placental insufficiency causing chronic episodes of hypoxia which ultimately lead to a disturbance in organ development in the etiology of the mortality groups is discussed.

Histomorphological studies of the perinatal pig: comparison of five mortality groups with unaffected pigs

The results of a histological examination of organs obtained from 5 clinically and morphologically identified and described mortality groups of pigs dying during the perinatal period (0–60 h of age) were compared with the results obtained from the same examination of unaffected, apparently normal pigs (0.4–60 h of age). The histomorphological pictures were judged blind according to a scale of 1 to 4, where 1 = none or insignificant, and 4 = a high degree of a specific organ characteristic. The results for each organ characteristic were analysed statistically.