Abstract
Sánchez-Aparicio, P., Mota-Rojas, D., Trujillo-Ortega, M.E., Zarco-Quintero, L.A., Becerril-Herrera, M., Alonso-Spilsbury, M. and Alfaro-Rodríguez. A. 2008. Effect of prostaglandins for inducing birth on weight, vitality and physiological response in newborn pigs. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 36: 113–118.
To evaluate the effect of prostaglandin administration to induce farrowing on incidence of stillbirth (SBP), evidence of intra-partum hypoxia (HBP) and weight, viability and acid-base equilibrium in piglets at birth, 395 newborns product of 40 Yorksh1ire × Landrace hybrid were studied upon. Sows were randomly divided equally into two treatments. Treatment 1 (T1) received 2 ml of an intramuscular (IM) normal saline solution and Treatment 2 (T2) was treated with a single dose of 10 mg IM of prostaglandin analogue, to induce a synchronized parturition 48 h before the estimated time of parturition. The weight of the SBP was approximately 142 g less (P<0.0376) in T2 (PGF2α, compared with the T1. The weight of the HBP was approximately 247 g less (P<0.0001) in T2 compared to T1. The vitality score of ABP was good in both treatments. Two response variables (glucose, Ca++) in ABP were significantly greater in T2 compared to T1. When PGF2α was injected in the sow 48 h before giving birth, it has negative effects causing hyperglycemia and low weight at birth and diminished vigor in the newborn piglets. However, further studies with variable time interval are recommended.