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Oxytocin given to sows at the onset of fetal expulsion significantly increases the rate of fetal distress, anoxia, and intrapartum death in piglets.

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Sildenafil could be an alternative in the treatment of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and premature delivery. In order to systematically review the reproductive-related effects of sildenafil, a search was made on PubMed and the Science Citation Index for studies evaluating the effects of sildenafil on uterine vessels or myometrium either in vitro or in experimental animal models as well as for any clinical trial or case reporting the outcome of pregnant women treated with sildenafil. The information was obtained from: three in vitro studies, five studies performed in experimental animal models, four studies on women with fertility and sterility disorders receiving 100 mg/day of sildenafil intravaginally, and two case reports of pregnant women who received sildenafil for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension. Incubation with sildenafil of different in vitro preparations resulted in vasodilator and uterine relaxant effects. No evidence of teratogenicity was observed in the studies performed in mice, rats and dogs. Sildenafil increased fetal weight in rats. In women, contradictory results on uterine blood flow and endometrial development were reported after the intravaginal administration of sildenafil. No adverse fetal outcomes were reported in the two pregnant women with pulmonary hypertension receiving sildenafil late in their pregnancy. In conclusion, there is still limited information about the efficacy of sildenafil for the treatment of IUGR and premature delivery. However, studies in experimental animal models and two human case reports have reported no deleterious effects on the mother or offspring.

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ABSTRACT:The objective of this review is to integrate clinical findings and laboratory analyses in such a way to improve the welfare of newborn piglets and achieve better prognoses of neonatal viability. Deaths during the intrapartum period account for a significant proportion of pre-weaning mortality in farms worldwide. Piglets which die during parturition generally have normal size and typically lack gross lesions at post-mortem examination. However, circulatory abnormalities in the umbilical cord help in assessing piglet viability. Cord lesions can be classified as normal (adhered), oedematous, congested or haemorrhagic and should always be evaluated in perinatal deaths. The likelihood of neonatal survival decreases rapidly as the severity of umbilical cord lesions increase. The physiometabolic blood profile which includes acid-base balance, degree of dehydration, mineral balance, metabolic expenditure and gas exchange are also useful clinical elements for properly assessing neonatal viability. Neonatal survival is notably reduced when the blood pH falls below 7.0, lactate rises above 90 mg/dl, bicarbonate drops below 10 mmol/l, or the pCO 2 increases above 110 mm/Hg. Blood calcium is also an excellent indicator of neonatal stress when used in combination with the other parameters mentioned above. Trembling due to an imbalance in the movement of calcium in muscle is also a factor involved in neonatal mortality. Neurological function in the newborn piglet could also be evaluated by adapting the Apgar score widely used in human perinatology. Neonates with scores lower than 6 in a 10 point scale have generally lower survival rates. The two most important indicators for this vitality score are breathing latency and bradycardia. If the neonate has apnoea for more than 5 min and the cardiac frequency does not increase to more than 110 beats per minute the prognosis for survival is rather poor.