Monitoring the Foetal Phase of Gestation in the Queen With a 12.5‐MHz Ultrasound Probe and Prediction of the Parturition by Combining the Measurements of Head and Abdominal Diameters

Abstract

Ten gestations in six domestic shorthair cats (Europeans) were monitored daily during the foetal phase of gestation, from the 28th day after the first mating until parturition, using ultrasound with a 12.5-MHz probe. The development of the various organs over this period was recorded. The diameters of the head (HD) and abdomen (AD) were measured. Skeletal calcification visible on ultrasound occurred in a defined order between the 34th and 40th day of gestation. During the last 30 days of gestation, there was a significant correlation between HD and days before parturition (DBP) (r(2) = 0.99) and between AD and DBP (r(2) = 0.98). The following equations were obtained: DBP = -2.10*HD (mm) + 50.74; DBP = -1.01*AD (mm) + 42.19. The confidence intervals were stable over the last 30 days of gestation. For the HD, the confidence interval was ±1 day in 53% of cases and ±2 days in 85% of cases. For the AD, the confidence interval was ±1 day in 45% of cases and ±2 days in 77% of cases. A table obtained by combining the HD and AD measurements made it possible to estimate the date of parturition within 2 days with a reliability of over 85%.

Possibilities of using ultrasonographic fetal biometry in cats

“…Średnica głowy mierzona była także w badaniach przeprowadzonych przez Topie i wsp. (22). Na ich podstawie zaproponowano następujący wzór, bazujący na tym parametrze: DBP = -2,10 * (HD) (mm) + 50,74.…”

“…Topie i wsp. (22) w swojej pracy stwierdzili występowanie znaczącej korelacji pomiędzy wielkością średnicy jamy brzusznej a liczbą dni pozostałych do porodu, niższą jednak niż w przypadku HD. Oszacowano, że przy zastosowaniu metody kombinowanej, uwzgledniającej oba opisywane parametry, data porodu może być przewidziana z trafnością do dwóch dni z rzetelnością powyżej 85%.…”

Multilayer perceptron and support vector regression models for feline parturition date prediction

“…Summary data from previous studies indicated that the confidence intervals of SLR models allowing one-day (±1 day) and two-day (±2 days) errors at the 6th gestation weeks could vary from 53 to 79% and 77–88%. Then they rapidly dropped to 27–51% and 50–70% in the 9th week—the last week of gestation [ 1 , [3] , [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] ]. These studies also utilized various SLR formulas, even the unique one specific to a cat breed [ [4] , [5] , [6] , 8 , 9 ].…”

“…Then they rapidly dropped to 27–51% and 50–70% in the 9th week—the last week of gestation [ 1 , [3] , [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] ]. These studies also utilized various SLR formulas, even the unique one specific to a cat breed [ [4] , [5] , [6] , 8 , 9 ]. These findings highlight the insufficiency of the model type and input features utilized in the SLR model, presenting a compelling research area to explore more precise models for this particular task.…”

Development of specific fetometric formulas of ICC and BP for predicting the parturition date in Maine Coon queens

“…The ultrasonography is a better method than palpation and radiography because allows to do an early diagnosis of pregnancy and record embryo or foetus viability, as early as 10 days after mating (Davidson & Baker, ; Zambelli et al, ; Zambelli & Prati, ). Ultrasonography supports estimation of gestational age, embryonic or foetal maturation and the date of delivery by measuring various extra‐foetal and foetal structures (Beccaglia et al, ; Lopate, ; Topie, Bencharif, Briand, & Tainturier, ; Zambelli et al, ).…”