TDK conference 2013

It had been postulated, that the ability to diagnose fetal distress is the first step towards decreasing perinatal morbidity and mortality in the foal. Transabdominal ultrasonography has been used in human obstetrics for evaluating fetal well-being and recognizing fetal distress for the past 30 years. It is a useful diagnostic tool for well-being of the fetus and the mare, too. The examination requires special ultrasound equipment (2,5-3,5 MHz macroconvex probe) and patient preparation. The evaluation includes fetal heart rates, the diameter of fetal aorta, breathing movements, thoracic diameter, maximal depths of amniotic and allantoic fluid, continuity and thickness of the uteroplacental unit, the fetal tone and mobility. These measurable parameters can be organised to an equine biophysiological profile, which can give useful information about the outcome of the pregnancy. Transabdominal fetal ultrasonography can probably show if the equine fetus has normal values or it is retardated in growth. If ultrasound findings are abnormal, it tells the clinician that the mare should be monitored closely and perhaps intervention is needed in case of worsening fetal well-being. Eleven Hungarian broodmares (mixed genotype) had been evaluated in late term pregnancy by transabdominal ultrasound at Equine Clinic Üllő as well as in a Hungarian stud farm. Their prepartum and postpartum data were collected. Finally, a comparison was made between the prognostic value of the measured parametres and the outcome of the pregnancies. As a conclusion, the transabdominal sonographic evaluation of late-term mares can be done under clinical and farm conditions and gives useful information on fetal well-being. It also has been concluded, that this useful assessment method should be evaluated further in a larger group of mares.