Can Uterotonics Reduce Fetal and Newborn Piglet Mortality by Perinatal Asphyxia and Improve Functional Vitality?

Stillbirths in large-scale porcine farms are still a problem reducing the reproductive performance. Oxytocin and vetrabutin chlorhydrate are the uterotonics frequently used with the purpose to accelerate the labor in sows of different countries, including Mexico. Currently, there is controversy if uterotonic drugs use increase or not the survival of the newly born porcine. The objective of this review is to comment the schemes of treatment used with oxytocin and vetrabutin chlorhydrate and their effects on mortality due to postnatal and intrauterine asphyxiation and discuss the uterotonics schemes of treatment that have tried to resolve it as well. We conclude that it is necessary to establish the pros and contrast of the use of oxytocin and vetrabutin chlorhydrate and the uterotonics treatment schemes to stop their indiscriminate use and overdosage because of a lack of standardized dose protocols, routes of administration and times of application during farrowing, which increase the risk of perinatal mortality.