Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2026
Long-Term Catheterization of the Intestinal Lymph Trunk and Collection of Lymph in Neonatal Pigs
Published on: March 5, 2016
Cord Obstruction and Delayed Cord Clamping Do Not Affect Gut Function in Neonatal Piglets
Mads J B Nordsten1, Xudong Yan2,3, Jan B M Secher4
1Comparative Pediatrics and Nutrition, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, mjnie@sund.ku.dk.
Umbilical cord obstruction during birth impacts newborn physiology but does not harm the developing gut. Delayed cord clamping improves neonatal hemodynamics without affecting gut outcomes or necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) sensitivity.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Physiology
- Perinatal Medicine
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Birth-related umbilical cord obstruction can cause hypoxic insults, impacting newborn organ adaptation.
- Cesarean-delivered pigs were used to investigate the effects of cord obstruction on physiological transition and gut maturation.
- The study also examined if delayed cord clamping (DCC) could improve gut outcomes, including sensitivity to formula-induced necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)-like lesions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the impact of umbilical cord obstruction (UCO) on neonatal physiological transition and gut maturation in pigs.
- To investigate whether delayed cord clamping (DCC) improves gut outcomes and reduces sensitivity to NEC-like lesions.
- To assess the resilience of the immature newborn gut to transient changes in cord blood flow during birth.
Main Methods:
- Experiment 1: Preterm and near-term piglets underwent umbilical cord obstruction (UCO) or served as controls (CON).
- Experiment 2: Preterm piglets were subjected to delayed cord clamping (DCC) or immediate cord transection with umbilical cord milking (UCM).
- Postnatal vital parameters and gut parameters were assessed after 3 days of formula feeding.
Main Results:
- UCO induced respiratory-metabolic acidosis and increased mortality in near-term and preterm pigs, respectively.
- Umbilical cord obstruction did not affect gut permeability, transit time, macromolecule absorption, digestive enzymes, or NEC-like lesion sensitivity.
- Delayed cord clamping improved neonatal hemodynamics but did not impact gut parameters or NEC sensitivity.
Conclusions:
- Umbilical cord obstruction and delayed cord clamping influence neonatal transition and hemodynamics.
- Neither UCO nor DCC significantly affected neonatal gut adaptation or susceptibility to NEC-like lesions.
- The immature newborn gut demonstrates high resilience to transient alterations in cord blood flow during birth.
More Related Videos
07:41Transdermal Measurement of Glomerular Filtration Rate in Mechanically Ventilated Piglets
Published on: September 13, 2022
10:55A Piglet Perinatal Asphyxia Model to Study Cardiac Injury and Hemodynamics after Cardiac Arrest, Resuscitation, and the Return of Spontaneous Circulation
Published on: January 13, 2023
