Data di Pubblicazione:
2022
Citazione:
Biochemical factors affecting newborn survival / M.C. Veronesi, J. Fusi. ((Intervento presentato al 24. convegno EVSSAR Congress in a Joint Meeting with the 9th Quadrennial International Symposium on Canine and Feline Reproduction tenutosi a Milano nel 2022.
Abstract:
Small animal neonates are vulnerable at birth and during the neonatal period. Three main conditions
can hamper newborn survival: prolonged hypoxia during the birth process, hypoglycemia and failure
of passive immune transfer.
Promptly addressing the need for neonatal assistance is necessary to reduce high perinatal mortality
rate. At birth, determining some blood gas factors, blood glucose concentration, serum cardiac
troponin I concentrations and assessing the Day 2 IgG concentrations can be useful for clinicians.
Although blood sampling is challenging in small animal neonates, use of very little blood volume on
portable biochemical analyzers makes this testing feasible. In newborns, the events associated to
delivery are responsible for a transient condition of hypoxia. However, if hypoxia progresses to
asphyxia, metabolic acidemia (a life-threatening condition) can develop and ischemic myocardial
damage occurs. Asphyxiated puppies were reported to show significantly differences in partial
pressure O2, sO2, peripheral sO2 and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in comparison to non-asphyxiated
newborns [1]. Blood lactate is also a useful prognostic marker to assess the degree of acidosis and
associated with death or neurological complications in puppies [2].
After birth and during the neonatal period, newborns can develop hypoglycemia, due to the hepatic
immaturity, sepsis, or poor nursing leading to starvation. Some studies have indeed reported blood
glucose thresholds associated with increased risk of neonatal death. Due to the nature of the canine
and feline endotheliochorial placenta, passive immune transfer by colostrum is necessary for newborn
immunity. Failure of immune transfer should be recognized as soon as possible for correct newborn
management. The threshold for detecting the failure of passive immune transfer in newborn dogs was
reported [3], while in kittens the exact threshold has not been yet determined. Although urine is easily
collected from neonates by micturition, urinalysis is generally useful. However, hematuria was
reported to be a negative prognostic factor. Another biological specimen useful for newborn
assessment is fetal fluids. A study focusing on the composition of fetal fluids at birth, reported higher
LDH, creatinine, UREA, GGT and, to a lesser extent, cholesterol and AST in fetal fluids of puppies
that died within the first day after birth in comparison to those surviving.
In conclusion, more extensive studies are needed to better elucidate the prognostic role of serum
biochemistry in small animal neonates as well as to develop other suitable prognostic markers to
improve neonatal survival.
Tipologia IRIS:
14 - Intervento a convegno non pubblicato
Keywords:
dog; cat; newborn survival
Elenco autori:
M.C. Veronesi, J. Fusi
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