High-risk pregnancy in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta): a case of ectopic, abdominal pregnancy with birth of a live, term infant, and a case of gestational diabetes complicated by pre-eclampsia.
BACKGROUND
Cases of abdominal pregnancy, in the form of intra-abdominal mummified fetuses, have been described in nonhuman primates. Gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia are common pregnancy complications in women.


METHODS
Two timed-bred rhesus monkeys had high-risk pregnancies, an abdominal pregnancy with delivery of a live term infant, and a case of gestational diabetes that later developed pre-eclampsia.


RESULTS
The monkey that had abdominal pregnancy later died from septic peritonitis. The monkey had a colonic adenocarcinoma that may have allowed leakage of intestinal contents into the abdomen. Her infant was fostered to another female and survived. The monkey with gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia was treated with a regimen similar to that used in women, and a live infant was delivered at day 157 of gestation by Caesarian section.


CONCLUSIONS
These cases underscore the value of timed-breeding and the similarities between pregnancy complications in women and in nonhuman primates.
Krugner-Higby
Lisa
L
Research Animal Resources Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA. lisakh@rarc.wisc.edu
Luck
Melissa
M
Hartley
Deborah
D
Crispen
Heather M
HM
Lubach
Gabriele R
GR
Coe
Christopher L
CL
D000818:Animals; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000662:veterinary; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000662:veterinary*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011269:Pregnancy, Abdominal / Q000662:veterinary*; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk