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Animal reproduction science2019; 207; 153-161; doi: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2019.04.011

Stress effects on the regulation of parturition in different domestic animal species.

Abstract: This review summarizes current knowledge on stress-like responses in parturient animals and their role for the onset and fine-tuning of parturition. The antepartum maternal cortisol increase is part of the endocrine changes that initiate parturition but a further increase in cortisol release during labor indicates a stress response. During the last minutes of delivery, sinus arrhythmias occur in 80% of foaling mares and 60% of calving cows. Expulsion of the neonate is thus characterized by parasympathetic dominance. In late-pregnant cows transported by road, cortisol concentrations increased but relations between transport stress and abortion remain unclear. In mares, transport not only elicited a stress response but also advanced the time of foaling. Transferring parturient rats, mice and pigs after birth of the first pup or piglet, respectively, to a stressful environment prolonged the time until delivery of the next littermate. In rats and pigs, this was caused by an increased opioidergic tone that restrained oxytocin release. In mice, a stress-induced delay of subsequent deliveries was caused by increased sympathoadrenal activity. When foaling mares were transferred to an uncomfortable stable at fetal membrane rupture, time until complete birth of the foal was doubled. As in mice, increased sympathetic activity was the mechanism delaying the progress of foaling. An increased sympathetic activity is also present in parturient cows disturbed during an early stage of calving. In equine and bovine neonates, the immediate postnatal period is characterised by high sympathetic activity and an increase in cortisol concentration, indicating a pronounced stress-like response.
Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Publication Date: 2019-04-27 PubMed ID: 31054786DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2019.04.011Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This article reviews the current knowledge on how stress impacts the childbirth process in various domestic animals. The researchers provide insight into the role of stress responses in regulating the onset and progression of childbirth, observing that stress can both prompt and impede labor.

Stress and Onset of Parturition

  • The researchers discuss the role of cortisol, a hormone often associated with stress, in initiating childbirth or parturition. Maternal cortisol increases during the before-birth period, helping to trigger parturition. However, there’s an additional increase in cortisol during actual labor, signifying a stress response.
  • The final moments of childbirth in most foaling mares and calving cows are characterized by sinus arrhythmias—a variation in heart rhythm—which indicates a state of parasympathetic dominance where rest and conservation of energy are prioritized.

Impact of Environmental Stress on Parturition

  • Over the course of the study, the researchers examined the effects of transport stress on pregnant cows and mares. In cows, road transport led to an increase in cortisol levels. However, connection between transport stress and miscarriage remained ambiguous.
  • In contrast, transport had a more direct and noticeable impact on mares, causing not only a stress response but also brought forward the time of childbirth.

Stress-triggered Delays in Parturition

  • In studies with rats, mice, and pigs, the researchers found that moving animals to a stressful environment after the birth of the first young resulted in a delay in the delivery of the remaining litter. This delay was attributed to an increase in opioidergic tone, which suppressed oxytocin release – the hormone that facilitates childbirth.
  • Similar observations were made with mares. When mares were moved to an uncomfortable stable after the rupture of fetal membranes, the time taken for the complete birth of the foal was twice as long. The mechanism delaying the progress was determined to be an increase in sympathetic activity, similar to what was observed in mice.

Postnatal Period and Stress

  • The researchers also noted that both equine and bovine neonates exhibited significant stress reactions immediately after birth. This was characterized by high sympathetic activity and an increase in cortisol concentration.

This research sheds light on the complex interplay between stress responses and the process of birth in various animal species, indicating areas for further investigation into stress management during parturition.

Cite This Article

APA
Nagel C, Aurich C, Aurich J. (2019). Stress effects on the regulation of parturition in different domestic animal species. Anim Reprod Sci, 207, 153-161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2019.04.011

Publication

Animal reproduction science
ISSN: 1873-2232
NlmUniqueID: 7807205
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 207
Pages: 153-161

Researcher Affiliations

Nagel, Christina
  • Graf Lehndorff Institute, Vetmeduni Vienna, Hauptgestüt 10, 16845 Neustadt (Dosse), Germany. Electronic address: christina.nagel@vetmeduni.ac.at.
Aurich, Christine
  • Artificial Insemination and Embryo Transfer, Department for Small Animals and Horses, Vetmeduni Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
Aurich, Jörg
  • Obstetrics, Gynecology and Andrology, Department for Small Animals and Horses, Vetmeduni Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria.

MeSH Terms

  • Abortion, Veterinary / etiology
  • Animals
  • Animals, Domestic / classification
  • Animals, Domestic / physiology
  • Cattle
  • Female
  • Horses
  • Mice
  • Parturition / physiology
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy, Animal
  • Rats
  • Stress, Physiological / physiology
  • Swine

Citations

This article has been cited 34 times.
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