Pregnancy Loss and Parturition Flashcards
what is parturition, technically?
pregnancy loss
what 4 factors contribute to increased prenatal loss?
- nutritional stress
- disease of the reproductive tract
- endocrine imbalances
- aging of gametes prior to fertilization
list the 3 aspects of nutritional stress contributing to increased prenatal loss
- energy shortages
- mineral imbalances
- vitamin deficiencies
which out of the 4 increased prenatal loss factors is associated with later stage loss? (3)
- nutritional stress
- disease of repro tract
- endocrine imbalances
which one of the 4 prenatal loss factors is associated with early stage loss?
aging of gametes prior to fertilization
what fraction of prenatal losses occur in fetal/later stages?
1/3
what fraction of prenatal losses occur in earlier, embryonic losses?
2/3
when can early embryonic loss occur?
even before pregnancy detection
name 2 contributing factors to early embryonic loss
- maternal recognition failure
2. nonviable embryo
how long post-ovulation can an oocyte survive before being fertilized?
8 hours is ideal, after this window embryonic loss risk increases
who signals for parturition?
fetus
what 3 factors cause the fetus to change adrenal size in response to stress and signal for parturition?
- lack of space
- lack of gas exchange
- lack of nutrients
what hormone drives the cascade of events resulting in parturition?
fetal cortisol
what is CRH?
corticotropin-releasing hormone
what is ACTH?
adrenocorticotropin hormone
what do fetal nutritonal demands and placental insufficiency cause in the fetus?
- causes the hypothalamus to release CRH,
- which tells the anterior pituitary to release ACTH to the adrenal cortex,
- resulting in the release of fecal corticosteroids (cortisol)
for the fetus, what is the result of the release of fetal cortisol?
- lungs produce surfactant
- liver stores glycogen
- thryoid gets involved in metabolism
why do fetal lungs need to produce surfactant?
so that the lungs will stay open after the 1st breath
why does the fetal liver need to store glycogen?
because colostrum is not as energy-dense as milk
why does the fetal thyroid need to play a role in metabolism?
for thermo-regulation
on the maternal side, what is the result of the release of fetal cortisol?
the placentome (placental-maternal interaction) will decrease P4 levels, and increase E2 and PGF2a levels
what is the result of increased E2 levels from the placentome in response to fetal cortisol? (5)
- gap junctions in uterine myometrium cause uterine contractions
- the ovary (CL) produces oxytocin
- oxytocin receptors in the uterine endometrium cause the endometrium to release PGF2a to further stimulate uterine contractions (practice contractions)
- the ovary (CL) also produces relaxin, which along with straight up E2, leads to cervical ripening/dilation
- E2 also triggers CL regression in cows and sows
what is the result of PGF2a release from the placntome in response to fetal cortisol?
- ovary (CL) is stimulated to release oxytocin and relaxin (works in conjuction to stimulate ovary with E2)
- also triggers cow and sow CL regression
when PGF2a is the one stimulating contractions, what type of contractions are these?
“practice contractions” sporadic and unorganized