Foetal Doppler abnormality is associated with increased risk of sepsis and necrotising enterocolitis in preterm infants.

AIM: Fetoplacental Doppler abnormalities have been associated with increased neonatal mortality and morbidity. This study evaluated the associations between prenatal Doppler assessments and neonatal mortality and morbidity in premature infants born small for gestational age or after pre-eclampsia. METHODS: This was a population-based study of infants born alive at 22(0) -33(6) weeks of gestation, a birthweight <10th percentile for gestational age and/or maternal pre-eclampsia. Doppler assessments of the umbilical artery, middle cerebral artery and ductus venosus were evaluated in 127, 125 and 95 cases, respectively. Circulatory compromise was defined as absent or reversed end-diastolic velocity in the umbilical artery (AREDF), middle cerebral artery pulsatility index <2.5 percentile for gestational age and ductus venosus pulsatility index for veins >97.5 percentile. RESULTS: AREDF was present in 28% of the infants. This was associated with increased frequencies of neonatal sepsis and necrotising enterocolitis after adjusting for gestational age. Abnormal ductus venosus pulsatility index for veins was associated with increased risk of neonatal sepsis, but only in combination with AREDF. These associations were only present when gestational age was <28 weeks. CONCLUSION: AREDF was associated with increased neonatal morbidity in premature infants born small for gestational age or after pre-eclampsia.

Factors affecting response of groups of dairy cows managed for different calving-conception intervals.

Factors which positively or adversely affect the response of cow groups to different planned conception periods were analyzed and quantified. Cows were randomly assigned to groups for breeding at postpartum intervals of 35 to 59, 60 to 90 and 120 to 150 days in a research herd, or 60 to 90 and 120 to 150 days in a cooperating commercial herd, with a planned preceding dry period of 60 days in both herds. Breeding at 35 to 59 and 60 to 90 days post partum resulted in a lower conception rate among multiparous cows but had no effect on primiparous cows. Genital disorders such as metritis, retained placenta, vulva inflammation and vaginitis, did not affect the start of luteal activity or length of the subsequent cycles, but caused a significant delay of the first behavioral estrus and, consequently, a delay of the first insemination in the earlier breeding groups. About 30% of the cows in the different categories were inseminated three or more times and were considered to be repeat breeders. Response rates (number of cows conceiving on time/number assigned) in the later breeding group improved due to higher submission rates (number of cows submitted on time/number assigned), and the conception rates were higher (number of cows conceiving on time/number submitted). The rates in all groups were adversely affected by repeat breeding and genital disorders. The latter delayed the first insemination and the conception rate.

Effects of selenium and vitamin E on incidence of retained placenta.

In a series of experiments over 3 yr, relatively low doses of selenium and vitamin E were injected intramuscularly 3 wk prepartum to pregnant Israeli-Holstein dairy cows in a high-producing herd (9000 kg milk/yr) with a history of retained placenta in 17% of the primiparous and 28% of the multiparous animals, as recorded for the 12 mo preceding the study. Selenium ranged from .035 to .109 ppm in the prepartum diet and from .160 to .200 ppm in the postpartum diet. Doses of selenium ranging from 2.3 to 23.0 mg reduced the incidence of retained placenta in 186 primiparous and in 428 multiparous to 7 and 15%, which was half of that of controls. Low doses of selenium (2.3 to 4.6 mg) tended to be more effective than higher ones. Selenium alone was at least as effective as a combination of selenium and vitamin E. Dosage, timing, mechanism, and interactions of selenium with other factors in reducing the incidence of retained placenta need clarification.