Premature lactation and retention of a mummified fetus with live birth of the co-twin in a primiparous Morgan mare.
Abstract: This report describes a primiparous 8-year-old Morgan mare, which displayed premature lactation that began at approximately 240 d of gestation and lasted approximately 4 wk. The premature lactation resolved spontaneously, and the pregnancy was subsequently carried to full term with the delivery of a live foal and a mummified fetus. Lactation prématurée et rétention d’un fœtus momifié avec naissance vivante du jumeau chez une jument Morgan primipare. Ce rapport décrit une jument Morgan primipare âgée de 8 ans, qui a manifesté une lactation prématurée qui a commencé vers 240 jours de gestation et a duré environ 4 semaines. La lactation prématurée s’est résolue spontanément et la gestation a ensuite été menée à terme avec la mise-bas d’un poulain vivant et d’un fœtus momifié. (Traduit par Isabelle Vallières)
Publication Date: 2011-07-07 PubMed ID: 21731099PubMed Central: PMC3058659
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Summary
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This research paper explores the unique case of an 8-year-old Morgan mare that exhibited premature lactation during pregnancy, and ultimately gave birth to a live foal as well as a mummified fetus.
Case Overview
- The authors of this paper studied the case of an 8-year-old primiparous Morgan mare that began to lactate prematurely, around 240 days into gestation.
- The premature lactation lasted around four weeks before it spontaneously resolved.
- The mare then carried the pregnancy to full term, delivering a live foal and a mummified fetus.
Subject and Manifestations
- The subject of this study was a Morgan mare, a breed of horse, that was primiparous, meaning this was her first time being pregnant.
- The mare manifested premature lactation, or the release of milk before the normal lactation period, which typically begins after a foal is born.
- The premature lactation occurred around 240 days into the mare’s gestation, which is notably early compared to the typical horse gestation length of about 330 to 345 days.
Resolution and Outcome
- Curiously, the premature lactation abruptly resolved on its own after approximately four weeks.
- The mare managed to carry the pregnancy to full term which is a significant point, given the abnormal lactation period, suggesting that premature lactation did not signal a failed or problematic pregnancy.
- At full term, the mare gave birth to a live foal. However, a mummified fetus was also delivered. This might suggest that the mare may have initially been carrying twin foals, but one fetus simply stopped developing at a certain point and mummified in utero while the other foal continued to develop normally.
Implications
- This study provides valuable insight into a unique case involving premature lactation and the delivery of a mummified fetus alongside a live foal. More research is needed in this area to fully understand the implications of such occurrences on equine health and management.
Cite This Article
APA
Robinson KA, Manning ST.
(2011).
Premature lactation and retention of a mummified fetus with live birth of the co-twin in a primiparous Morgan mare.
Can Vet J, 52(4), 423-425.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. katherine.robinson@usask.ca
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Female
- Fetal Death / veterinary
- Fetus
- Horses / physiology
- Lactation / physiology
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy, Animal / physiology
- Pregnancy, Multiple
- Twins
References
This article includes 7 references
- Ginther OJ. Twinning in mares: A review of recent studies.. J Equine Vet Sci 1982;2:127–135.
- McKinnon AO, Rantanen NW. Twins.. In: McKinnon AO, Rantanen NW, editors. Equine Diagnostic Ultrasonography. 1st ed. Baltimore, Maryland: Williams and Wilkins; 1998. pp. 141–156.
- Davies Morel MCG. Equine Reproductive Physiology, Breeding and Stud Management.. 3rd ed. Wallingford, Oxon, UK: CAB International; 2008. p. 62.
- Jeffcott LB, Whitwell KE. Twinning as a cause of foetal and neonatal loss in the thoroughbred mare.. J Comp Pathol 1973;83:91–106.
- Smith BP. Large Animal Internal Medicine.. 3rd ed. St. Louis, Missouri: Mosby; 2002. p. 1592.
- Chavatte P. Twinning in the mare.. Equine Veterinary Education 1997;6:286–292.
- Frazer GS. Twins.. In: Robinson NE, editor. Current Therapy in Equine Medicine. 5th ed. St. Louis, Missouri: Saunders; 2003. pp. 245–248.
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Peere S, Van den Branden E, Broothaers K, Polfliet E, Smits K, Govaere J. Birth of a Healthy Monozygotic Twin Foal with Hydrops and a Dead Co-Twin. Vet Sci 2024 Dec 13;11(12).
- Veronesi MC, De Amicis I, Giangaspero BA, Fusi J, Robbe D, Castelli F, Carluccio A. Twin Pregnancy in the Martina Franca Donkey Breed Managed by Natural Reduction and Post-Fixation Manual Crushing. Animals (Basel) 2024 Aug 29;14(17).
- Hughes K. Development and Pathology of the Equine Mammary Gland. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 2021 Jun;26(2):121-134.
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