Responses of the Piglet to Perinatal Stressors

Intrapartal stillbirth and neonatal mortality cause enormous losses in the swine industry. Evidence reviewed suggests that stress from the prenatal respiratory-gas environment is directly related to intrapartal stillbirth and reduced neonatal survivability and that stress from the postnatal thermal environment is very likely related directly and indirectly to neonatal mortality in the piglet.