[Physiologic studies of maturity diagnosis in the calf and its relationship to the postnatal condition]

The parameters of kidney, lung, and skin maturity, known from human medicine, were for the first time determined from amniotic fluid of cattle. Given the difference in placentation, it is not known whether the conditions of the human fetus can be fully applied to the bovine fetus, the detectability of such maturity criteria may be indicative of comparable morphokinetic conditions in the bovine fetus. All physiological parameters investigated exhibited difference to the benefit of surviving calves. Positive correlations were found to exist between the lecithin/sphingomyelin quotient and body weight gain in the first week of age as well as drinking behaviour of the calves. Hence, insufficient concentration of surface-active phospholipids in calf breeding has measurable effects on quantitatively definable characteristics.