Intoxication by Cyanide in Pregnant Sows: Prenatal and Postnatal Evaluation

Table 1

Reproductive parameters from sows treated with KCN from day 21 of pregnancy to term and the body weight of their piglets at birth until 120 days old.

Parameters	Control ()	KCN (mg/kg per day)
		2.0 ()	4.0 ()	6.0 ()
Body weight gain (kg) during pregnancy^a	69.6 ± 4.6	55.2 ± 5.1	49.8 ± 4.1	59.4 ± 8.2
Number of assisted births	0 (5)^b	0 (5)	4 (5)	1 (5)
Live piglets	57	55	36	51
Male	27	30	13	24
Female	30	25	23	27
Number of dead piglets	6	4		10
Stillbirths	5	4	14	7
Mummified fetuses	1	0	9	3
Subsequent total born piglets (mean)	12.6	11.8	7.2	9.4
Piglets body weight at birth^a	1.68 ± 0.04 (57)^c	1.64 ± 0.03 (55)	1.71 ± 0.07 (36)	1.60 ± 0.05 (51)
Overall weight gain (kg) of piglets at 120 days
Males	55.25 ± 3.82	52.47 ± 2.43	54.07 ± 2.97	52.79 ± 3.49
Females	53.82 ± 3.24	52.35 ± 2.78	51.62 ± 1.97	51.62 ± 2.99

Mean ± S.E.M.
^bNumber of deliveries.
^cNumber of piglets weighed.
compared with controls.