Smartphone-based ECG assessment of heart rhythm at birth in healthy foals born after spontaneous or induced parturition: is there a potential difference?

Background- Subclinical electrophysiological derangements occur at birth in foals. Smartphone-based ECG (spECG) is practical tools to assess heart rhythm and was recently validated in foals. Objectives-To assess the heart rate (HR) and rhythm at birth in clinically healthy foals born after spontaneous and induced parturition using a spECG.

Plasma alpha-fetoprotein in neonatal foals affected by prematurity, sepsis and neonatal encephalopathy.

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) concentrations have been reported in healthy foals and proposed as a biomarker of sepsis in foals born from mares with experimentally induced placentitis. This study aimed to describe the diagnostic and prognostic value of plasma AFP in foals spontaneously affected by different diseases. The study included all foals less than 72 h old that were diagnosed with either: (1) prematurity (PRE), when born prior to 320 days of gestation with immature physical characteristics; (2) sepsis (SEP), in the presence of both positive blood culture and SIRS or (3) neonatal encephalopathy (NE), with evidence of hypoxic-ischemic injury.

On-field Gross Morphology Evaluation of Dromedary Camel () Fetal Membranes.

The dromedary camel () fetal membranes, commonly referred to as "the placenta", are epitheliochorial, diffuse, and microcotyledonary, similarly to the mare's placenta. The evaluation of the placenta is an essential component of the neonatal evaluation in the equine species. However, post-partum or post-abortion placental assessment in dromedary camels is unfortunately too frequently neglected and, to the best of the authors' knowledge, the dromedary camel species lacks a comprehensive description of the normal placenta's gross morphology.

Obesity and gestation in Criollo mares: endocrine and metabolic profiles.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of body condition score (BCS) on metabolic and endocrine parameters in pregnant Criollo mares (n=41), which were categorized according to their BCS as obese (7 to 9 BCS, n=26) or normal (5 to 7, n=15). Blood samples were taken during gestation in 3 periods: between 3.5 and 5 months (I), 8 and 9 months (II) and in the last month of gestation (III).

Retrospective analysis of factors associated with umbilical diseases in foals.

In neonatal foals, umbilical remnants can be affected by infectious and non-infectious diseases. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate historical, management and clinical factors that may be related to the occurrence of umbilical remnant diseases. Clinical reports of foals born or hospitalized within 24 h of life during the 2017-2021 foaling seasons were reviewed.

Could assisted reproductive techniques affect equine fetal membranes and neonatal outcome?

Embryo transfer (ET) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) are widely used in equine species, but their effects on fetal adnexa and neonates have not been investigated yet. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate whether pregnancies obtained by ET or ICSI could be associated with the presence of macroscopic alterations of fetal membranes (FM) and umbilical cord (UC) and if the use of these techniques could influence neonatal outcome. Sixty-six light breed mares hospitalized at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Bologna, for attending delivery were included in the study.

Gross and histological examination of Wharton's Jelly in the equine umbilical cord.

Wharton's jelly (WJ) is fundamental for the well-being of the fetus, binding to the umbilical vessels and protecting them from twisting and compression. Gross and microscopic studies have been undertaken on the umbilical cord (UC) of human placentae in both normal and high-risk pregnancies, however there is limited research on equine UC. The aim of this study was to describe microscopically and immunohistochemically the equine UC in normal pregnancies, with particular attention to WJ.

Assessment of the microvascular perfusion using sidestream dark-field imaging in healthy newborn foals.

Background: Different methods to measure tissue perfusion are available in equine neonatology, but they are not representative of microvascular derangements.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of the sidestream dark-field (SDF) capillaroscopy to visualize the capillary microvasculature in conscious newborn foals, the differences between two imaging sites and times of measurements, and the measurements' reproducibility.

Methods: Seventeen healthy newborn foals were enrolled.

High-Risk Pregnancy Is Associated With Increased Alpha-Fetoprotein Concentrations in the Amniotic Fluid and Foal Plasma.

This study aimed to determine alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) concentrations in amniotic fluid, plasma of mares and respective foals: carrying normal pregnancies and delivering healthy foals (n = 20; Group 1); carrying apparently normal pregnancies and delivering sick foals (n = 15; Group 2); carrying high-risk pregnancies and delivering sick foals (n = 14; Group 3). High-risk pregnancy was defined by a history of premature udder development/lactation or increased of the combined thickness of the uterus and placenta, or vulvar discharge and/or mares' systemic illness. Sick foals were affected by neonatal encephalopathy, sepsis, prematurity/dysmaturity, or hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

Study on NGF and VEGF during the Equine Perinatal Period-Part 2: Foals Affected by Neonatal Encephalopathy.

Neonatal Encephalopathy (NE) may be caused by hypoxic ischemic insults or inflammatory insults and modified by innate protective or excitatory mechanisms. Understanding the underlying pathophysiology is important in formulating a rational approach to diagnosis. The preliminary aim was to clinically characterize a population of foals spontaneously affected by NE.

Study on NGF and VEGF during the Equine Perinatal Period-Part 1: Healthy Foals Born from Normal Pregnancy and Parturition.

The importance of trophic factors, such as nerve growth factor (NGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) during the perinatal period, is now emerging. Through their functional activities of neurogenesis and angiogenesis, they play a key role in the final maturation of the nervous and vascular systems. The present study aims to: (i) evaluate the NGF and VEGF levels obtained at parturition from the mare, foal and umbilical cord vein plasma, as well as in amniotic fluid; (ii) evaluate NGF and VEGF content in the plasma of healthy foals during the first 72 h of life (T0, T24 and T72); (iii) evaluate NGF and VEGF levels at parturition in relation to the selected mares’ and foals’ clinical parameters; (iv) evaluate the relationship between the two trophic factors and the thyroid hormone levels (TT3 and TT4) in the first 72 h of life; (v) assess mRNA expression of NGF, VEGF and BDNF and their cell surface receptors in the placenta.

Dystocia in the Standardbred Mare: A Retrospective Study from 2004 to 2020.

Dystocia as a prolonged stage II parturition (>30 min) was associated with a higher risk of complications. The hypothesis of the study was that any type of dystocia could affect the foal’s health, even when the stage II was <30 min. Clinical reports on 222 Standardbred mares and their foals hospitalized at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Bologna from 2004 to 2020 were reviewed.

Hair Cortisol and DHEA-S in Foals and Mares as a Retrospective Picture of Feto-Maternal Relationship under Physiological and Pathological Conditions.

Equine fetal hair starts to grow at around 270 days of pregnancy, and hair collected at birth reflects hormones of the last third of pregnancy. The study aimed to evaluate cortisol (CORT) and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) concentrations and their ratio in the trichological matrix of foals and mares in relation to their clinical parameters; the clinical condition of the neonate (study 1); the housing place at parturition (study 2). In study 1, 107 mare-foal pairs were divided into healthy (group H; n = 56) and sick (group S; n = 51) foals, whereas in study 2, group H was divided into hospital (n = 30) and breeding farm (n = 26) parturition.

Efficacy and Safety of Omalizumab Treatment Over a 16-Year Follow-Up: When a Clinical Trial Meets Real-Life.

Purpose: Treatment of severe asthma has made great strides thanks to rapid progress in understanding immune response and inflammatory pathways. This led to the advent of the first biologic for severe allergic asthma (SAA), omalizumab. Although the long-term efficacy and safety of omalizumab has been confirmed, increasingly longer follow-up data can further reinforce this evidence and potentially provide new ones, for example on any loss of efficacy or the appearance of unexpected side effects.

Development of a Composite Pain Scale in Foals: A Pilot Study.

Prompt pain management is crucial in horses; however, tools to assess pain are limited. This study aimed to develop and pilot a composite scale for pain estimation in foals. The "Foal Composite Pain Scale" (FCPS) was developed based on literature and authors' expertise.

Image-Based Monitoring of Cracks: Effectiveness Analysis of an Open-Source Machine Learning-Assisted Procedure.

The proper inspection of a cracks pattern over time is a critical diagnosis step to provide a thorough knowledge of the health state of a structure. When monitoring cracks propagating on a planar surface, adopting a single-image-based approach is a more convenient (costly and logistically) solution compared to subjective operators-based solutions. Machine learning (ML)- based monitoring solutions offer the advantage of automation in crack detection; however, complex and time-consuming training must be carried out.

The first case of Tyzzer's disease in a young foal in Italy: a case report.

Seizures, coma and death rapidly appeared after admission in a one ‑month‑old foal with a history of lethargy, fever and anorexia. Severe icterus and necrotizing hepatitis were observed at necropsy. Clinical signs, laboratory and postmortem findings were compatible with a suspect of clostridial hepatitis.

The role of systemic corticosteroids in severe asthma and new evidence in their management and tapering.

Introduction: Based on the latest literature evidence, between 30% and 60% of adults with severe refractory asthma (SRA) are systemic corticosteroid (SCS) dependent. There are numerous therapeutic options in asthma, which are often not effective in severe forms. In these cases, SCS should be considered, but it is increasingly recognized that their regular use is often associated with significant and potentially serious adverse events.

Morphological study of equine amniotic compartment.

Exfoliative cytology of human amniotic fluid (AF) has been extensively studied since 1940s, but no data exist in equine species. The AF compartment represents the environment in which the foetus grows and matures, and its composition changes, reflecting foetal well-being and development. The aim of this study was to describe for the first time the morphology of equine AF cells and amniotic membrane (AM) with light microscopy (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Fetal Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia and Hydramnios in a Quarter Horse Mare.

Hydramnios is an excessive accumulation of fluid within the amniotic compartment. It is a rare condition in mares, often associated with fetal anomalies. Hydrops of fetal membranes predisposes to the rupture of the prepubic tendon, and many authors suggest the induction of parturition to preserve mare's reproductive career.

Changes in the Fecal Microbiota Associated with a Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Administration in Hospitalized Neonatal Foals with Probiotics Supplementation.

There is a wide array of evidence across species that exposure to antibiotics is associated with dysbiosis, and due to their widespread use, this also raises concerns also in medicine. The study aimed to determine the changes on the fecal microbiota in hospitalized neonatal foals administered with broad-spectrum antimicrobials and supplemented probiotics. Fecal samples were collected at hospital admission (Ta), at the end of the antimicrobial treatment (Te) and at discharge (Td).

Adrenal Gland Ultrasonographic Measurements and Plasma Hormone Concentrations in Clinically Healthy Newborn Thoroughbred and Standardbred Foals.

Adrenal hormones, ACTH plasma concentrations and the ultrasonographic evaluation of the adrenal glands are considered complementary in clinical evaluations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function in several species. In dogs, age, size and weight have a significant effect on the ultrasonographic size of the adrenal glands. In neonatal foals, ultrasonographic evaluation and measurements of the adrenal glands have been demonstrated to be reliable; however, the effect of individual variables on ultrasonographic features has not been investigated, and the clinical usefulness of adrenal gland ultrasonography is still not known.

Activities of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 in amniotic fluid at parturition in mares with normal and high-risk pregnancy.

The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of enzymes involved in extracellular matrix remodeling. MMPs are secreted in a latent form and activated by local and infiltrating cells. MMP-2 and -9 are the most studied in reproduction and have been detected in bovine, ovine, equine and human placenta.

Canine Placenta Histological Findings and Microvascular Density: The Histological Basis of a Negative Neonatal Outcome?

Placenta is essential for the development of the fetus, and its impaired function can lead to a negative outcome (i.e., neonatal mortality).

Transabdominal ultrasonographic measurement of caudal vena cava to aorta derived ratios in clinically healthy neonatal foals.

Background: Ultrasonographic measurement of the vena cava and aorta (Ao) diameters and their ratios have been suggested to be a reliable way of quantifying hypovolemia.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and reliability of an ultrasonographic technique for measurement of Ao and caudal vena cava (CVC) and derived ratios using three different acoustic windows in a population of healthy neonatal foals. Correlation between Ao and CVC measurements and ratios and foals' age or bodyweight were also investigated.