Effects of prenatal heat stress on postnatal performances of dairy goats

摘要

There is evidence that the environmental conditions affecting mothers during pregnancy modify fetal programming through physiological and epigenetic changes (Viltart & Vanbesien-Mailliot, 2007) which permanently modify the behaviour, health and productivity of their offspring. Studies in animals have shown that episodes of stress during pregnancy have negative effects on the postnatal life of the offspring such as reduction of the duration of pregnancy and birth weight (Schroeder & Weller, 2009) andalteration of the immune system (Tuchscherer et al., 2002).