The Puerperium Period And Lactation Flashcards
Puerperium?
The period when the reproductive tract returns to it’s non-pregnant condition so that the animal can get pregnant again.
What three things take place during parturition?
Loss of placental function
Tissue damage
Deterioration of maternal placenta (during and after fetal placental expulsion)
Lactation?
Synthesis, secretion, and removal of milk from the mammary gland
What 5 this occur during the puerperium as steps to repair the reproductive tract?
1) uterine involution
2) decrease uterine size
3) decrease in uterine volume
4) endometrial repair
5) expulsion of lochia
When does ovarian function return?
After the puerperium period
Why is the shortest possible puerperium period desirable in polyestrous animals?
The shorter the interval between pregnancies, the greater the offspring, and the greater the efficiency of meat production
What 4 major events occur in the puerperium towards conception?
1) myometrial contractions
2) endometrial repair
3) elimination of bacterial contamination of the reproductive tract
4) resumption of ovarian activity
What are the main functions and reasons for myometrial contractions?
1) Facilitate the discharge of fluids and tissue debris
2) Compress vasculature reducing possibility of hemmorrhaging
3) reduce the size of the uterus
How does suckling from young initiate myometrial contractions?
It induces oxytocin release which increases the rates of myometrial contractions
What is so different about the dairy cows when considering oxytocin release and myometrial contractions?
Because dairy calves are removed from their mother, oxytocin levels are decreased and uterine involution is delayed
Lochia?
Blood-tinged containing remnants of fetal placenta and endometrial tissue
When is bloody discharge of lochia released in the dairy cow?
2-10 days
Is it normal for there to be an increase in lochia discharge at around 5 days?
Yes, because more sloughing of the carunclar surfaces is occurring and causing vascular scabs to leak more blood
When does endometrial caruncle repair occur?
Once the fetal cotyledons and the maternal caruncles separate
What must occur before endometrial-caruncle repair is initiated?
1) vasoconstriction is stalk of caruncle
2) necrosis
3) loss of cellular integrity (~5 days)
Necrosis in endometrial-carbuncular repair?
Sloughing of caruncular mass/necrotic tissue
What occurs during repair of endometrial-caruncular repair?
Caruncles are covered with endometrial epithelium
Intercaruncular regions are also repaired (~8 days)
T/F: the prepartum tract with lochial fluid is the ideal environment for bacterial growth.
F: postpartum
Due to increased leucocytes, which hormone had elevated levels at parturition?
Estradiol
Name a few infections that can occur postpartum?
Retained placenta, distocia, weak myometrial contractions
Day 4 postpartum?
Sloughing of decidual tissue
Day 10 postpartum?
1) sloughing of decidual tissues
2) stalk non-existent
3) size reduction from vasoconstriction of blood vessels
Day 15 postpartum?
1) reduced caruncular size
2) covered in mucous
3) lochia almost nonexistent
4) pus-like material present
5) normal phagocytosis of deteriorating tissue by leukocytes
Day 20 postpartum?
1) caruncular size close to non-pregnant size
2) mass of blood vessels between Myometrial and epithelium covering caruncles
3) uterine fluid is mostly mucous
What is the only behavioral requirement of the neonate?
Suckling the dam
