Biometrical study of developing heart in prenatal Goat

Abstract

A study was conducted on 28 healthy and normal goat foetuses collected from the local slaughterhouses of Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) during January 2014 to December 2015 to know the biometry of heart at different stages of prenatal life. The weight (0.06 -10.37 g) and volume (0.05 10.10 cc) of heart increased from 46 to 148 days of gestation continuously in a co-linear manner; however, the maximum gain in weight (0.17g/day) and volume (0.17cc/day) of heart occurred during the late prenatal period (101 to 148 days of gestation). Heart weight as per cent of total body weight was reduced with the advancement of age. Length (5.78 -36.60 mm), width (4.61 -21.28 mm), thickness (3.50 -24.90 mm) and circumference (14.00 -73.00 mm) of heart increased with increase in gestation period. Length of cranial and caudal borders of heart continuously increased from 46 to 148 days of gestation; however, the increase in the length of cranial border was more than the caudal border. Therefore, during late gestation period, the cranial border of heart was strongly convex and caudal border was almost straight. The study revealed that all the components of heart increased in size particularly during the late prenatal period of goat foetuses.