Small intestinal development in growth-retarded fetal sheep

Abstract

The functional maturity of the gastrointestinal system is essential for the survival of the neonate. The effects of reducing placental size and the ensuing fetal growth retardation on the development of the small intestine (SI) of the sheep fetus were investigated. At 140 days of gestation (term is 147 days), fetal body weight, gastro-intestinal weight (from the abomasum to the rectum, i.e., the gut), SI weight, and SI length in the growth-retarded fetuses (n = 6) were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) when compared with age-and breed-matched control fetuses. The SI weight was disproportionately reduced as a fraction of the gut weight or SI length (p < 0.01). The proximal SI showed marked red..