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Claw lesions and lameness in sows are an important welfare concern as well as a cause of considerable economic loss. These problems are more common in group housing than in individual housing systems. Given that group housing for gestating sows will become mandatory in the EU from 2013 onwards, the aim of the present study was: (1) to determine the prevalence of lameness and claw lesions in sows housed in groups during gestation, and (2) to analyze whether the type of group housing system and sow-related factors were associated with lameness and claw lesions. Eight Belgian pig herds with group housing of gestating sows were selected. Four herds used pens with electronic sow feeders (dynamic groups), the other four herds kept their sows in free access stalls (static groups). All sows were visually examined for lameness at the end of gestation. Claw lesions were scored after parturition. Information about feed, housing conditions and culling (strategy) was collected, as well as information about parity and breed. Of all 421 assessed sows, on average 9.7% (min. 2.4%, max. 23.1%) were lame. Almost 99% of the sows had one or more claw lesion with overgrowth of heel horn (93%) and cracks in the wall (52%) as the most prevalent lesions. Neither for lameness nor claw lesions was significant differences found between the two types of group housing. Lameness decreased while the mean claw lesion score increased with ageing. These results suggest that lameness can be caused by reasons other than claw lesions, especially in older sows. Although no difference was found between the two types of group housing, a huge variation between herds was observed.

Cadmium, lead, mercury, and aluminum are toxic metals that may interact metabolically with nutritionally essential metals. Iron deficiency increases absorption of cadmium, lead, and aluminum. Lead interacts with calcium in the nervous system to impair cognitive development. Cadmium and aluminum interact with calcium in the skeletal system to produce osteodystrophies. Lead replaces zinc on heme enzymes and cadmium replaces zinc on metallothionein. Selenium protects from mercury and methylmercury toxicity. Aluminum interacts with calcium in bone and kidneys, resulting in aluminum osteodystrophy. Calcium deficiency along with low dietary magnesium may contribute to aluminum-induced degenerative nervous disease

Background. Studies in animals indicate that natural forms of vitamin A are teratogenic. Synthetic retinoids chemically similar to vitamin A cause birth defects in humans; as in animals, the defects appear to affect tissues derived from the cranial neural crest. Methods. Between October 1984 and June 1987, we identified 22,748 pregnant women when they underwent screening either by measurement of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein or by amniocentesis. Nurse interviewers obtained information on the women's diet, medications, and illnesses during the first trimester of pregnancy as well as information on their family and medical history and exposure to environmental agents. We obtained information on the outcomes of pregnancy from the obstetricians who delivered the babies or from the women themselves. Of the 22,748 women, 339 had babies with birth defects; 121 of these babies had defects occurring in sites that originated in the cranial neural crest. Results. For defects associated with cranial-neural-crest tissue, the ratio of the prevalence among the babies born to women who consumed more than 15,000 IU of preformed vitamin A per day from food and supplements to the prevalence among the babies whose mothers consumed 5000 IU or less per day was 3.5 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.7 to 7.3). For vitamin A from supplements alone, the ratio of the prevalence among the babies born to women who consumed more than 10,000 IU per day to that among the babies whose mothers consumed 5000 IU or less per day was 4.8 (95 percent confidence interval, 2.2 to 10.5). Using a smoothed regression curve, we found an apparent threshold near 10,000 IU per day of supplemental vitamin A. The increased frequency of defects was concentrated among the babies born to women who had consumed high levels of vitamin A before the seventh week of gestation. Conclusions. High dietary intake of preformed vitamin A appears to be teratogenic

Our objective was to develop a technique for cannulating the terminal ileum in pregnant sows and to evaluate the usefulness of this procedure in digestibility studies in pregnant and lactating sows. A simple T-cannula was inserted into the terminal ileum approximately 15 cm cranial to the ileo-cecal valve in a total of 16 multiparous sows at d 40 (+/- 5 d) of pregnancy. All cannulated sows recovered quickly after the surgery and within 3 d they were eating normally. Elevated body temperatures were not registered in any sows, and clinical problems related to the surgery were not observed. At farrowing, normal litters were born, and number of stillborn pigs, number of live born pigs, and daily litter weight gain were not affected by the cannulations (P .05). Of the 15 sows originally cannulated, 11 sows were used for collection of digesta during gestation and the following lactating period. Eight sows were rebred after weaning, and five sows were rebred after the second lactation period and kept for another cycle. Blockage of the cannulas never occurred, and no serious problems were associated with digesta collections. The experiment demonstrated that pregnant sows can be prepared with a simple T-cannula in the distal ileum and that the cannula can be maintained in sows throughout the reproductive cycle. Hence, the procedure provides a tool for obtaining digesta from pregnant and lactating sows for nutrition studies

Background. The risk of recurrent neural-tube defects is decreased in women who take folic acid or multivitamins containing folic acid during the periconceptional period. The extent to which such supplementation can reduce the first occurrence of defects is not known. Methods. We conducted a randomized, controlled trial of periconceptional multivitamin supplementation to test the efficacy of this treatment in reducing the incidence of a first occurrence of neural-tube defects. Women planning a pregnancy (in most cases their first) were randomly assigned to receive a single tablet of a vitamin supplement (containing 12 vitamins, including 0.8 mg of folic acid; 4 minerals; and 3 trace elements) or a trace-element supplement (containing copper, manganese, zinc, and a very low dose of vitamin C) daily for at least one month before conception and until the date of the second missed menstrual period or later. Results. Pregnancy was confirmed in 4753 women. The outcome of the pregnancy (whether-the fetus or infant had a neural-tube defect or congenital malformation) was known in 2104 women who received the vitamin supplement and in 2052 who received the trace-element supplement. Congenital malformations were significantly more prevalent in the group receiving the trace-element supplement than in the vitamin-supplement group (22.9 per 1000 vs. 13.3 per 1000, P = 0.02). There were six cases of neural-tube defects in the group receiving the trace-element supplement, as compared with none in the vitamin-supplement group (P = 0.029). The prevalence of cleft lip with or without cleft palate was not reduced by periconceptional vitamin supplementation. Conclusions. Periconceptional vitamin use decreases the incidence of a first occurrence of neural-tube defects

El síndrome de encefalopatía reversible puede presentarse durante la gestación, está ligado a diversos factores de riesgo. Revisar la evidencia disponible para el diagnóstico, el tratamiento y el pronóstico de la encefalopatía posterior reversible durante la gestación. Se realizó una búsqueda electrónica en términos de diagnóstico, tratamiento y pronóstico del síndrome de encefalopatía posterior reversible durante la gestación. Se seleccionó como recurso de evidencia a los medios electrónicos. Dos de los autores realizaron una evaluación crítica de los artículos encontrados y seleccionaron la literatura relevante. No se encontró ningún tipo de estudio analítico. Unicamente se hallaron reportes de caso y series de casos lo que no permite establecer recomendaciones sólidas basadas en evidencia. Poco se conoce acerca del síndrome de encefalopatía posterior y su comportamiento en la gestación; es necesario acumular mayor evidencia con respecto a esta entidad.

El síndrome de encefalopatía reversible puede presentarse durante la gestación, está ligado a diversos factores de riesgo. Revisar la evidencia disponible para el diagnóstico, el tratamiento y el pronóstico de la encefalopatía posterior reversible durante la gestación. Se realizó una búsqueda electrónica en términos de diagnóstico, tratamiento y pronóstico del síndrome de encefalopatía posterior reversible durante la gestación. Se seleccionó como recurso de evidencia a los medios electrónicos. Dos de los autores realizaron una evaluación crítica de los artículos encontrados y seleccionaron la literatura relevante. No se encontró ningún tipo de estudio analítico. Unicamente se hallaron reportes de caso y series de casos lo que no permite establecer recomendaciones sólidas basadas en evidencia. Poco se conoce acerca del síndrome de encefalopatía posterior y su comportamiento en la gestación; es necesario acumular mayor evidencia con respecto a esta entidad.

Forty-four pregnant Carthusian broodmares were divided into three age Groups (A: 4-7 years, n=18; B: 8-12, n=15; C: 13-17, n=11) in order to evaluate the influence of age on the hematological characteristics. Jugular blood samples were taken every 14 days and data were pooled for each animal. The following hematological variables were determined: red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (HB), hematocrit (HCT), volumetric indices, white blood cells (WBC) and platelets (PLT). Furthermore, the numbers and percentages of lymphocytes (LYMP), band (BNL) and total neutrophils (NL), eosinophils (EOS), monocytes (MON), basophils (BAS) and the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (N/L) were counted on blood smears. Total serum protein concentrations (TSP) were also measured. The lower values of RBC, WBC, LYMP and PLT in the older broodmares (Group C) possibly reflected a decline in bone marrow activity. The lower RBC of these mares was compensated by an increased MCV. The higher NL values in Group C, both BNL and NL, could have represented subclinical infections, since these animals also presented the highest TSP. Likewise, the animals of Group C showed the highest EOS counts. This research demonstrated that ageing significantly influences the hematological values of Carthusian broodmares, with the most marked differences in mares older than 13 years and that these physiological variations must be taken into account in a clinical context.

Magnesium sulfate is used widely to prevent eclamptic seizures in pregnant women with hypertension, but few studies have compared the efficacy of magnesium sulfate with that of other drugs. Anticonvulsant prophylaxis with phenytoin for eclampsia has been recommended, but there are virtually no data to support its efficacy. Our objective was to compare magnesium sulfate with phenytoin in preventing seizures in hypertensive women during labor. We randomly assigned women with hypertension who were admitted for delivery to receive either magnesium sulfate or phenytoin. The magnesium sulfate regimen consisted of a 10-g intramuscular loading dose followed by a maintenance dose of 5 g given intramuscularly every four hours. For women with severe preeclampsia, an additional 4-g loading dose was given intravenously. The phenytoin regimen included a 1000-mg loading dose infused over a period of 1 hour, followed by a 500-mg oral dose 10 hours later. With either regimen, anticonvulsant therapy was continued for 24 hours post partum. Ten of 1089 women randomly assigned to the phenytoin regimen had eclamptic convulsions, as compared with none of 1049 women randomly assigned to magnesium sulfate (P = 0.004). There were no significant differences in any risk factors for eclampsia between the two study groups. Maternal and infant outcomes were also similar in the two study groups. Magnesium sulfate is superior to phenytoin for the prevention of eclampsia in hypertensive pregnant women. These results validate the long-practiced use of magnesium sulfate in the prevention of eclampsia.