title: Effects of oral administration of caffeine on some physiological parameters and maternal behaviour of sows at farrowing.
abstract: Caffeine has been demonstrated to have a protective effect on neonatal viability of piglets. In order to assess whether caffeine, administered to parturient sows, also affects maternal behaviour, respiratory rate, and dopamine, nitric oxide and serotonin plasma levels, 20 sows, with induced parturition, received orally 27 mg/kg of body weight of caffeine (T group; n=10) or not (NT group; n=10), on day 113 of gestation. Treatment did not affect the farrowing length. There were less stillborn piglets in T group than NT group (0.67 vs 2.44; P<0.05), whereas no differences in dead piglets at 24h from birth was observed. Caffeine did not affect physiological parameters of sows, as the behaviour score of sows laying on belly was reduced (P<0.05). In conclusion, although the present study was carried out with a limited number of sows, administration of caffeine to parturient sows has the potential for reducing the number of stillborn.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Via del Taglio 10, 43126 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Superchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Via del Taglio 10, 43126 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saleri
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Via del Taglio 10, 43126 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Farina
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Via del Taglio 10, 43126 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cavalli
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Via del Taglio 10, 43126 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Riccardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Via del Taglio 10, 43126 Parma, Italy. Electronic address: alberto.sabbioni@unipr.it.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sabbioni
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D002110:Caffeine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D036801:Parturition / Q000187:drug effects*; D050497:Stillbirth / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013552:Swine / Q000502:physiology*; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002110:Caffeine
keywords: Behaviour; Caffeine; Farrowing sow; Stillbirth rate; Swine