[The postnatal iron status of trotter foals].

The study investigates the postnatal iron status in trotter foals by examining various parameters in blood samples taken at birth and after 14 and 28 days. The results indicate a significant decrease in iron status after 14 days, with recovery nearing initial levels after 28 days, irrespective of foal’s sex. It emphasizes the need to monitor each foal’s iron status during the critical first 14 days after birth.

Objective and Methodology

• The objective of the study is to examine the postnatal iron levels in 20 trotter foals (7 female, 13 male) by analyzing the blood drawn on their birth day, and then again after 14 and 28 days.
• The parameters studied included hemoglobin hematocrit, plasma iron, and transferrin saturation. However, the total iron-binding capacity was only slightly increased, but statistically insignificant, over the four-week period.

Findings and Interpretation

• At birth, the average hemoglobin hematocrit, plasma iron, and transferrin saturation levels were 14.9 g/dl, 300 micrograms/dl, and 59.4%, respectively.
• Notably, these values significantly decreased after 14 days but regained close to initial levels by day 28.
• The foal’s sex did not influence the iron status, suggesting that both male and female foals experienced similar patterns of iron level fluctuations.

Comparative Analysis

• When comparing with the iron levels of mares (mother horses), it was observed that the mares had considerably lower levels of plasma iron and transferrin saturation on the day of delivery.

Implications of the Study

• The study underlines the necessity of individually checking each foal’s iron status during the first 14 days after birth, which is considered a critical period.
• The significant dip in iron levels after 14 days raises a concern that requires further studies with a larger sample size and diverse breeds to confirm these findings and understand their implications on foal health.