Heart rate and salivary cortisol concentrations in foals at birth.

The research paper focuses on the changes in heart rate and salivary cortisol concentrations in foals from before birth until five months of age, demonstrating that increases in these parameters happen immediately after birth, not during parturition.

Study Methodology

• The study involved monitoring foals’ heart rates (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and salivary cortisol concentrations.
• A total of 13 foals participated in the study, with measurements taken at multiple points starting from the perinatal phase up to five months of age.

Key Findings

• The researchers observed that in the fetus, HR decreased from 77 ± 3 beats/min at 120 min before birth to 60 ± 1 beats/min at 5 min before birth. This represented a significantly noticeable difference (P <0.01).
• Within 30 min of birth, HR in the foals significantly increased to 160 ± 9 beats/min (P <0.01).
• Simultaneously, the salivary cortisol concentrations also increased immediately after birth. The levels were 11.9 ± 3.6 ng/mL right after birth, and within 2 h, they surged to a maximum of 52.5 ± 12.3 ng/mL (P <0.01).

Conclusion

• The study concludes that the increases in HR and salivary cortisol concentrations observed in foals do not occur during the process of birth, rather they are triggered immediately after birth.

This research can contribute to a better understanding of perinatal physiological changes in foals, potentially aiding in the development of better care routines and interventions for newborn foals following birth.