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- Title
Effects of Elective Caesarean Sections in Healthy Near-Term Ewes on Subsequent Reproductive Performance.
- Authors
Voigt, Katja; Theisges, Mara; Zablotski, Yury; Weber, Frank; Zerbe, Holm
- Abstract
Simple Summary: In cases of birth difficulties in sheep, caesarean sections can be life-saving. It is, however, important for farmers to know whether the ewe is likely to conceive again. In field cases following birth difficulties, many factors such as the problematic delivery itself or any underlying health problems will also influence these outcomes. In order to assess a potential direct effect of surgery, it is important to study healthy animals undergoing pre-planned operations. Animals from a university sheep flock were, therefore, studied retrospectively by evaluating their breeding records. Caesarean sections were performed by veterinary students as part of their training, and the subsequent breeding outcomes were compared to animals which had only lambed naturally. There was no negative effect of caesarean surgery on the subsequent pregnancy rate or on lamb viability or birth weights. However, in the pregnancy immediately following a surgical delivery, a smaller number of lambs was born per ewe, and a higher number of mating attempts was necessary to achieve pregnancy. The number of lambs born returned to pre-caesarean levels in further subsequent pregnancies. We, therefore, conclude that caesarean sections in sheep have very little influence on their long-term reproductive performance; this procedure is, therefore, worthwhile. Post-surgical reproductive performance following ovine caesarean section has not been well studied. To assess any direct effects of surgical delivery in the absence of confounders such as dystocia or underlying diseases, we studied elective surgery performed in healthy animals for teaching purposes. Four hundred and eleven paired breeding records following vaginal delivery (n = 233), elective caesarean section (n = 122), and subsequent further vaginal deliveries in animals with a history of one prior elective caesarean operation (n = 56) were evaluated retrospectively. The overall subsequent pregnancy rate was 95%. Multivariable statistical analyses did not reveal any significant influence of planned caesarean surgery on subsequent conception, stillbirth, perinatal lamb mortality, lamb birth weights, or the incidence of premature foetal death (mummification and abortion). A significantly higher number of mating attempts was, however, necessary. Also, a significant reduction in litter size was seen in the first pregnancy immediately following a surgical delivery in comparison to animals which had previously only delivered vaginally (p = 0.001), but litter size returned to pre-caesarean levels in further follow-up pregnancies in animals with a history of one elective caesarean section (p = 0.436). Subsequent long-term reproductive performance of sheep following elective caesarean section is thus excellent, and the results encourage retention for breeding.
- Subjects
DELIVERY (Obstetrics); PREGNANCY in animals; CESAREAN section; EWES; ABORTION; STILLBIRTH; BIRTH weight
- Publication
Animals (2076-2615), 2024, Vol 14, Issue 6, p925
- ISSN
2076-2615
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/ani14060925