Effect Of Parity Research Articles

Ponderal Index: An Important Anthropometric Indicator for Physical Growth

The Ponderal Index (PI) is an essential measure to study physical growth of fetus, infants, newborn babies, adolescents, and adults. Lower PI is found among the malnourish infants and newborn babies and higher in obese ones. PI is also applied in maternity treatment to detect impaired fetal growth. Neonatal PI is essential to identify the effects of gestation age, sex, and maternal parity. In this study aspects of Ponderal Index (PI) are discussed to increase the measurement area for the reduction of risk factors of the infants and children morbidity and mortality.

Placental gene expression reveals reduced angiogenesis in primiparous mares

Primiparous mares produce smaller and lighter foals than in subsequent pregnancies. In most studies, their placenta is also smaller, more efficient and presents structural alterations, but maternal age is a confounding factor. This study aimed to characterize the effects of maternal parity using the mare's first two pregnancies or by comparing young mares with different parities over the same gestation year. The same young mares (4–6-year-old over the study) foaled for the first time in 2018 (primiparous in 2018, P18, n=10) and for the second time in 2020 (multiparous in 2020, M20, n=10). In 2020, another group of young mares foaled for the first time (primiparous in 2020, P20, n=18). All mares were inseminated with the semen of the same stallion and were fed identically over the study. To assess the effect of primiparity, M20 were compared to P18 (effect on the same mare), or P20 (effect in the same year). Placentas were recovered at foaling, measured, weighed and sampled close to the umbilical cord. Stereology was performed using MercartorPro software on HES-stained paraffin-embedded samples and analyzed using a linear model for paired samples or not and permutations with R software. Paired-end RNA-sequencing was performed (Illumina, NextSeq500) on 6 randomly chosen snap-frozen placentas/group. Differential expression was analyzed (DESeq2) using a false discovery rate (FDR) <0.05 cutoff. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis was performed on differential expressed genes using PANTHER overrepresentation test with GOBP database. Placental weight and surface were reduced and the efficiency (foal weight/placental surface, in kg/m2) was increased in primiparous mares in both comparisons (p<0.05). Volume was not modified by parity between the consecutives gestations but reduced in P20 vs M20 (p<0.05). Only the volume of allantoic stroma was significantly reduced in P18 vs M20 (p<0.05), whereas hemotrophic trophoblast and microcotyledonary vessels’ volume tended to be reduced in P20 vs M20 placentas (p<0.1). In consecutive gestations, 118 genes were differentially expressed in placenta while in the same year, only 2 genes (IL4R and FFAR, interleukin-4 and free fatty acid receptors) were differentially expressed (FDR <0.05). Among the 118 genes differentially expressed between consecutive pregnancies, apelin signaling, angiogenesis and catalytic activity were overrepresented. All genes involved in these pathways were under-expressed in P18 mares. Both the apelin (normalized enrichment score, NES=-2.16, FDR <0.05) and its receptor (NES=-2.48, FDR <0.05) were less expressed in the placenta of P18 vs M20. This is also observed in intrauterine growth retardation in humans. Although placental morphology was lightly affected in both analyses, the inter-individual variability seemed to hide parity effects for transcriptomic analysis. Consecutive gestations, however, demonstrate that the smaller placental and foal size in primiparous mares seems to originate from reduced vascularization.

Wool cortisol as putative retrospective indicator of stress in ewes during the third trimester of pregnancy, and their newborns: effects of parity and litter size — an exploratory study

Stress is an important factor in animal welfare. Hair or wool cortisol concentrations are considered to be potential long-term indicators of stress experienced by an animal. Using Swifter sheep, we investigated whether ewe parity and litter size affect the wool cortisol concentrations in ewes and their offspring. We hypothesized that multiparous ewes and their offspring would have higher wool cortisol concentrations than primiparous ewes and their offspring, that ewes with larger litters and their offspring would have lower wool cortisol concentrations than ewes with smaller litters and their offspring, that male lambs would have higher wool cortisol concentrations than female lambs, and that the wool cortisol concentrations in the wool of ewes and their lambs would be correlated. Lamb wool grows in utero during the third trimester of pregnancy. In ewes, the shave–reshave method was used so that wool samples from ewes also covered approximately the last trimester of pregnancy. Our study confirmed that litter size affected ewe wool cortisol concentrations: ewes that gave birth to larger litters (i.e., 3 or 4 lambs) had higher wool cortisol concentrations than ewes that gave birth to smaller litters (i.e., 1 or 2 lambs). There was no evidence that the wool cortisol concentrations of the ewes and their lambs were correlated. Neither litter size nor parity of the ewe affected wool cortisol in the lambs. Our study confirms that wool cortisol can be reliably measured in ewes and their newborn lambs, and suggests that it may be useful as a retrospective indicator of stress during the last trimester of pregnancy.

Purchasing Power Parity and International Fisher Effect Hypothesis Test: Evidence from Vietnam and 12 Major Trading Partners (2000 – 2022)

Amidst the expansion of the global economy and Vietnam's growing integration into the international arena, the country has formed substantial trade relations with a diverse range of nations across the globe. As a result, it is crucial to comprehend and study the dynamics of exchange rates, relying on the well-established theoretical frameworks of the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) theory and the International Fisher Effect (IFE). Given the longstanding nature of these theories, the main purpose of this study is to assess the validity and applicability of the PPP theory and IFE in explaining the changes in exchange rates between Vietnam and its various trading partners. Employing a multiple linear regression approach, we investigated quarterly historical data comprising interest rates, inflation rates, and exchange rates of 12 trading partners, including the ASEAN-5, China, the U.S., Japan, South Korea, France, Canada, and Germany from Q1 2002 to Q4 2022. The results unequivocally show that neither the PPP theory nor the IFE can adequately explain the variations in the Vietnam Dong's exchange rate with respect to those of its trade partners, underlining the existence of significant theoretical deviations. Given these observations, policymakers and investors are strongly encouraged to adopt a holistic viewpoint, including a variety of indicators, and conducting additional research to make informed decisions that support long-term economic stability and growth.

Effects of cow reproductive status, parity and lactation stage on behaviour and heavy breathing indications of a commercial accelerometer during hot weather conditions

Heat stress presents one of the most urgent challenges to modern dairy farming, having major detrimental impacts on cow welfare, health, and production. Understanding the effect of cow factors (reproductive status, parity, and lactation stage) on the physiological and behavioural response to hot weather conditions is essential for the accurate detection and practical application of heat mitigation strategies. To study this, collars with commercial accelerometer-based sensors were fitted on 48 lactation dairy cows to record behaviour and heavy breathing from late spring to late summer. The temperature-humidity index (THI) was calculated from measurements of 8 barn sensors. We found that, above a THI of 84, cows in advanced pregnancy (>90 days) spent more time breathing heavily and less time eating and in low activity than other cows, while cows in early pregnancy (≤90 days) spent less time breathing heavily, more time eating and in low activity. Cows with 3+ lactations showed less time breathing heavily and in high activity and more time ruminating and in low activity than cows with fewer lactations. Although lactation stage interacted significantly with THI on time spent breathing heavily, ruminating, eating, and in low activity, there was no clear indication at which lactation stage cows were more sensitive to heat. These findings show that cow factors affect the cow’s physiological and behavioural response to heat, which could be used to provide group-specific heat abatement strategies, thereby improving heat stress management.

Estimates of genetic parameters and genetic trend for growth traits and Kleiber ratio of Holstein-Friesian calves

Growth traits of calves, which are quantitative characteristics determining cattle business profitability, vary according to genetic and environmental factors. In other words, growth traits depend on the genetics of the individual and vary with farm management. The aim of this study was to investigate the effective environmental factors, genetic parameters, and genetic trends for some growth traits and the Kleiber ratio (KR) in Holstein-Friesian calves. For this purpose, the records of 724 calves, progeny of 566 dams and 29 sires, reared between 2017 and 2019 on a private dairy farm in Türkiye, were used. MTDFREML software was utilized to estimate genetic parameters and genetic trends of growth traits and KR. In this study, regarding weight, the mean of birth weight (BW), 60-day weight (W60), and 90-day weight (W90) were 39.76 ± 6.15 kg, 69.23 ± 10.93 kg, and 95.76 ± 16.48 kg, respectively. Concerning weight gain, 1-60 daily weight gain (DWG1-60), 60-90 daily weight gain (DWG60-90), and 1-90 daily weight gain (DWG1-90) were 0.49 ± 0.16 kg, 0.91 ± 0.34 kg, and 0.63 ± 0.17 kg, respectively. With respect to KR, 1-60 daily KR (KR1-60), 60-90 daily KR (KR60-90), and 1-90 daily KR (KR1-90) were 2.03 ± 0.48, 2.93 ± 0.89, and 2.02 ± 0.34, respectively. As a result of the GLM analysis, only the effect of the birth season on all traits was significant (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). In addition, it was detected that sex had a significant effect on BW and W60 (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). For all traits, only the effect of parity on KR1-60 was not significant. In REML analysis, direct heritability differed between 0.26 ± 0.16 and 0.81 ± 0.27 obtained at DWG1-90 and DWG1-60, respectively. Also, the highest repeatability (0.100) was obtained in DWG1-60. It was detected that mass selection could be used in all traits for breeding program. In BLUP analysis, the current population had an increasing trend for BW and W90 and a decreasing trend for W60. However, there was no significant change in other weight gain traits and KR over the years. Calves with high breeding values for BW, W60, W90, DWG1-60, DWG60-90, and DWG1-90 should be chosen for selection programs. But for KR1-60, KR60-90, and KR1-90, calves with low breeding values should be selected for efficiency. Also, KR evaluated would contribute to the literature and other research should be studied regarding KR.

Number of ANC Visits at RSIA AMC Metro Based on Mother's Age and Parity

WHO declared COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Obstacles found in ANC services during the COVID-19 pandemic were pregnant women afraid of contracting COVID-19 if they had to carry out ANC examinations at health services. ANC examinations play an important role in preventing and detecting pregnancy complications. Predisposing factors are one of the factors that influence the behavior of pregnant women in making ANC visits. Some of which are included in the predisposing factors are age and parity. This study aims to determine the effect of age and maternal parity on the number of ANC visits during the COVID-19 pandemic at RSIA AMC Metro. The sample consisted of 100 pregnant women who visited ANC between January and October 2022, and data analysis with multiple logistic regression. The majority of pregnant women were aged 20-35 years (71%), had given birth 2-4 times (36%), and made 1-5 ANC visits (82%). However, the study found that neither age nor maternal parity significantly affected the number of ANC visits during the pandemic at RSIA AMC Metro.

Association of parity with body mass index and cardiometabolic risk in high-parous women.

Postpregnancy weight retention contributes to obesity, but the long-term effect of parity on body mass index (BMI) and other cardiometabolic risk factors is unclear. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between parity and BMI among highly parous Amish women, both before and after menopause, and to evaluate the associations of parity with glucose, blood pressure, and lipids. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 3,141 Amish women 18 years or older from Lancaster County, PA, who participated in our community-based Amish Research Program between 2003 and 2020. We evaluated the association between parity and BMI across different age groups, both before and after the menopausal transition. We further assessed associations between parity and cardiometabolic risk factors among the 1,128 postmenopausal women. Finally, we evaluated the association of change in parity with change in BMI in 561 women followed longitudinally. Approximately 62% of women in this sample (mean age, 45.2 y) reported having four or more children, and 36% reported having seven or more. A one-child increase in parity was associated with increased BMI in both premenopausal women (estimate [95% confidence interval], 0.4 kg/m 2 [0.2-0.5]) and to a lesser degree in postmenopausal women (0.2 kg/m 2 [0.02-0.3], Pint = 0.02), suggesting that the impact of parity on BMI decreases over time. Parity was not associated with glucose, blood pressure, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, or triglycerides ( Padj > 0.05). Higher parity was associated with increased BMI in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women, but more so in younger/premenopausal women. Parity was not associated with other indices of cardiometabolic risk.

Role of symmetry in quantum blocking of Andreev reflection in graphene nanoribbons side-terminated by superconductors

Andreev reflection can be forbidden by means of quantum interference when superconductors are attached at the side edges of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs). The blocking is restricted to single-mode nanoribbons having symmetric zigzag edges and is destroyed by the application of a magnetic field. These characteristics are shown to be the effects of the wavefunction parity on the Andreev retro and specular reflections. Not only the mirror symmetry of the GNRs but also symmetric coupling of the superconductors is required for the quantum blocking. The quasi-flat-band states around the Dirac point energy induced for armchair nanoribbons by adding carbon atoms at the nanoribbon edges do not cause the quantum blocking due to the lack of the mirror symmetry. Furthermore, the phase modulation by the superconductors is shown to be able to convert the quasi-flat dispersion for the edge states of zigzag nanoribbons to a quasi-vertical dispersion.

Effect of Dry Season Supplementary Feeding and Parity on Performance of Desert Sheep in North Kordofan State, Sudan

Effect of Dry Season Supplementary Feeding and Parity on Performance of Desert Sheep in North Kordofan State, Sudan

121 Reproductive losses in beef cattle reared on an extensive system of production: effects of genotype and parity

121 Reproductive losses in beef cattle reared on an extensive system of production: effects of genotype and parity

The Association Between BMI and Adherence After the Insertion of Etonogestrel-Releasing Implant [ID: 1376766

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to learn the association between body mass index (BMI) to the incidence of side effects and adherence to treatment of etonogestrel-releasing implant. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study, conducted at a single university-affiliated medical clinic, including all women that underwent etonogestrel-releasing implant (Nexplanon, Merck and Co.) insertion between January 2019 to December 2021. Information on patients’ demographic, medical history, obstetrical and gynecological history, and follow-up were collected from women’s electronic medical files. Primary outcome was defined as the rate of implant removal in the obesity classes. The study was IRB approved. RESULTS: Study population included 1,318 women; of them, 466 (35%) requested early removal of the implant. Women’s demographic and clinical characteristics were comparable between women who requested early removal to those with full-length treatment. The median time for removal was 12 (6–20) months from insertion. Irregular bleeding was the most frequent reason for early removal in both groups and more prevalent in the early removal group (239 [51.29%] versus 193 [22%], P=.001). The rate of women with obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) was found lower in the early removal group (163 [35%] versus 350 [41.1%], P=.03) with comparable rates between the groups in class 3 obesity (BMI ≥40 kg/m2) (P=.68). Side effects rate as a compound parameter (including irregular bleeding, heavy bleeding, weight gain, and mood changes) was higher in the group who didn’t have obesity (39.1% versus 32.7%, P=.02). Multi-regression logistic analysis including age, BMI, parity, and side effects found the presence of side effects as the only independent predictor significantly associated with early implant removal (B=1.74, P=.04). CONCLUSION: Adherence to etonogestrel-releasing implant contraception treatment is associated to the presence of side effects that is reported more often in women who do not have obesity. Body mass index was not found to be a significant factor influencing adherence to treatment.

Zero-mode entanglement across a conformal defect

We consider a free-fermion chain with a conformal defect that features an extended zero mode, and study the entanglement properties in its mixed ground state. The zero-mode induced degeneracy modifies the density of states in the single-particle entanglement spectrum, which can be calculated via the full counting statistics. For a homogeneous chain, the resulting change in the Rényi entropy is derived analytically for arbitrary subsystem ratios in the thermodynamic limit. For a conformal defect located in the center, analogous results can be obtained for the half-chain entanglement. In particular, we observe parity effects for half-chains with even/odd sites, which do not decay with size.

Increased risk of stress urinary incontinence surgery after hysterectomy for benign indication—a population-based cohort study

Hysterectomy is a common procedure used to treat different gynecologic conditions. The association between hysterectomy for benign indication and stress urinary incontinence has previously been established. Stress urinary incontinence can be treated surgically, and options have improved after introduction of the midurethral sling procedure in1998. This study aimed to estimate the risk of stress urinary incontinence surgery after hysterectomy for benign indication. The study was carried out as a matched register-based cohort study including Danish women born from 1947 to 2000. Women who underwent hysterectomy for benign indication were matched to nonhysterectomized women in a 1:5 ratio on the basis of age and calendar year of hysterectomy. The risk of stress urinary incontinence surgery after hysterectomy was estimated. We adjusted for income, educational level, and parity. The risk of stress urinary incontinence surgery was further estimated in a subcohort excluding all vaginal hysterectomies. The joint effect of hysterectomy and parity was estimated in the main cohort, and the joint effect of hysterectomy and vaginal birth or cesarean delivery on stress urinary incontinence surgery was explored in a subgroup of women who only had 1 mode of delivery. All analyses were made using the Cox proportional hazards model. We included 83,370 women who underwent hysterectomy and 413,969 reference women. The overall risk of stress urinary incontinence surgery was more than doubled for women who underwent hysterectomy (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.6; 95% confidence interval, 2.4-2.8). The adjusted hazard ratio decreased slightly to 2.4 (95% confidence interval, 2.3-2.6) when excluding all vaginal hysterectomies. We found a trend of increasing risk of stress urinary incontinence surgery with increased parity among both women who underwent hysterectomy and the reference group. In the subgroup of women who only had 1 mode of delivery, we found the risk of stress urinary incontinence surgery to be particularly increased for women with a history of ≥1 vaginal births. The hazard ratio was 15.1 (95% confidence interval, 10.3-22.1) for women with a history of 1 vaginal birth who underwent hysterectomy, whereas the hazard ratio for women in the reference group with 1 vaginal birth was 5.1 (95% confidence interval, 3.8-8.1). Overall, women who underwent hysterectomy had a 3 times higher risk of stress urinary incontinence surgery than the reference group, irrespective of the number of vaginal births. This study indicates, in accordance with previous studies, that hysterectomy increases the risk of subsequent stress urinary incontinence surgery. Women should be informed and gynecologists include this knowledge in decision-making. Further precautions should be taken when treating parous women, particularly those with a history of ≥1 vaginal births.

Higher Lifetime Exposure to Gonadal Hormones is Associated With Lower White Matter Hyperintensities Burden: A UK Biobank Study in Post-Menopausal Women (P6-5.006)

<h3>Objective:</h3> The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between lifetime exposure to endogenous and exogenous gonadal hormones on white matter hyperintensities (WMH) in post-menopausal women. <h3>Background:</h3> The onset of menopause accelerates the development of brain biomarkers of small vessel disease, such as WMH, supporting the cerebrovascular-protective effects of hormones. However, whether this effect is influenced by lifetime exposure to hormones is unclear. <h3>Design/Methods:</h3> Two measures of lifetime endogenous hormone exposure (ENHE) were explored: 1) cumulative number of years with a natural menstrual cycle and 2) cumulative number of live childbirths in women having never received hormone replacement therapy (HRT, n=6039). For exogenous hormone exposure (EXHE): 1) the use of oral HRT and 2) topical HRT (n=246). WMH volume was obtained from preprocessed T2-FLAIR images. <h3>Results:</h3> In a linear model adjusted for intracranial volume, age, oral contraceptive use, socio-demographics, and cardiovascular risk factors, both ENHEcycle and EMNHEparity were negatively associated with WMH (R2 = 0.30, F = 241, DF = 6027, p&lt;0.0001; βparity = −0.025, p = 0.006; βcycle = −0.003 p = 0.017). For EXHE, women who received topical HRT had significantly lower WMH volume than oral HRT (t=1.99, p= 0.048) after correcting for intracranial volume, age, socio-demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, ENHEcycle and ENHEparity. <h3>Conclusions:</h3> Our results provide further evidence that lifetime exposure to endogenous hormones appears to have an independent protective effect on WMH burden, and extending this with exogenous topical HRT may confer additional protection. The stronger effect of parity may be due to prolonged exposure to elevated estrogen resulting in long-lasting structural or functional changes in the small cerebral vessels. <b>Disclosure:</b> Dr. Perron has nothing to disclose. Miss Cote has nothing to disclose. Prof. Lepage has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bocti has nothing to disclose. Kevin Whittingstall has nothing to disclose.

EFFECT OF AGE AND PARITY ON THE MEDICAL INDICATIONS OF CESAREAN SECTIONS AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Introduction:&lt;/strong&gt; Caesarean section (CS) is considered the most common and important surgical procedure for women of childbearing age to deliver a baby. Over the years the rate of CS has been increasing and the cause of this rise in CS is multifactorial. Yet, the literature suggests that it largely results from advanced maternal age, particularly in primiparous women. This study, therefore, sought to investigate the effect of age and parity on CS and its indications. &lt;strong&gt;Methods:&lt;/strong&gt; A retrospective study design and data for all mothers who had previously given birth at the hospital’s obstetric and gynaecological departments was used. A descriptive statistic was conducted to ascertain the distribution of the various dependent and independent variables. The P-value was determined using Pearson’s Chi-square and statistical significance was set at less than 0.05. &lt;strong&gt;Results:&lt;/strong&gt; 40.6% of the participants delivered through CS. Foetal indications for CS contributed to 30% of the cases while previous CS contributed to 20.6% of current CS cases in this study. Finally, there were associations between CS, indications for CS, and some age-parity classifications but these associations were not parallel.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/soc/0008/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Estimates of Genetic Parameters for Milk, the Occurrence of and Susceptibility to Clinical Lameness and Claw Disorders in Dairy Goats.

The New Zealand goat industry accesses niche markets for high-value products, mainly formula for infants and young children. This study aimed to estimate the genetic parameters of occurrence and susceptibility of clinical lameness and selected claw disorders and establish their genetic associations with milk production traits. Information on pedigree, lameness, claw disorders, and milk production was collected on three farms between June 2019 and July 2020. The dataset contained 1637 does from 174 sires and 1231 dams. Estimates of genetic and residual (co)variances, heritabilities, and genetic and phenotypic correlations were obtained with uni- and bi-variate animal models. The models included the fixed effects of farm and parity, deviation from the median kidding date as a covariate, and the random effects of animal and residual error. The heritability (h2) estimates for lameness occurrence and susceptibility were 0.07 and 0.13, respectively. The h2 estimates for claw disorder susceptibilities ranged from 0.02 to 0.23. The genotypic correlations ranged from weak to very strong between lameness and milk production traits (-0.94 to 0.84) and weak to moderate (0.23 to 0.84) between claw disorder and milk production traits.

Magic odd numbers: The effect of numerical parity on variety-seeking

Numbers are widely employed to convey product and other marketing related information and thereby influence consumer judgment and behavior. Drawing on the literature of numerical cognition, associative learning, goal activation, and variety-seeking, the current research examines how numerical parity affects consumers' variety-seeking behavior. Across one Implicit Association Test (IAT) and four experiments, we demonstrate that consumers associate odd (vs. even) numbers with changeability (vs. stability) in their minds (Study 1). We further find that exposure to product and other marketing related information that is presented with odd (vs. even) numbers increases consumers' tendency to seek variety in subsequent purchase decisions, and that this effect consistently appears in the voluntary selection of a set of options (Study 2a), the preference for diversified products (Study 2b and 3), and the choice of diversified product bundles (Study 2c). We further demonstrate that desire for change underlines this effect, such that exposure to odd numbers (vs. even numbers) activates consumers' desire for change, which in turn elevates their subsequent variety-seeking behavior (Study 3). The findings of the current research not only contribute to the literature, but also provide marketers with effective ways to facilitate consumers' variety-seeking behavior, such as by strategically using odd numbers in their marketing efforts.

Total and Differential Somatic Cell Count in Italian Local Cattle Breeds: Phenotypic Variability and Effect on Milk Yield and Composition.

Milk differential somatic cell count (DSCC) represents the percentage of polymorphonuclear neutrophils and lymphocytes out of the total somatic cell count (SCC) and has been proposed in recent years as a proxy for udder health in dairy cows. We investigated phenotypic factors affecting SCC and DSCC using 3978 records of 212 Alpine Grey and 426 Burlina cows farmed in Northern Italy. The linear mixed model accounted for the fixed effects of breed, parity, lactation stage, sampling season, and first-order interactions of breed with the other effects. Cow, herd-test-date nested within breed were random. Subsequently, four udder health status groups (UHS) were created by combining SCC and DSCC to assess the UHS impact on milk yield and quality. DSCC was greater in Alpine Grey (66.2 ± 0.8%) than Burlina cows (63.2 ± 0.6%) and, similarly to SCC, it increased with days in milk and parity regardless of breed. Milk yield and composition were affected by UHS in both breeds. These results suggest that also udder health of local breeds can be monitored on a large scale through SCC and DSCC for reduction in biodiversity loss and increased farm profitability. However, in addition to milk data, the introduction of mastitis recording and monitoring plans is advisable.

Effect of parity on milk yield in lactating dairy cows

This study evaluated the effect of parity on milk yield among dairy cows fed maize stover improved using legume stover (LS) and feed grade urea fertilizer (UET). The main objective was to assess the effect of parity number on milk yield among dairy cows. The study was carried out at the Livestock Development Trust Centre (LDTC) of the Golden Valley Agricultural Research Trust near Batoka in Southern Province of Zambia. Three feeding trials involving twelve (12) lactating dairy cows were conducted to assess the effect of parity on Daily Milk Yield (DMY). Feed supplements were offered to cows in form of chopped MS supplemented with chopped groundnut stover (cGS), chopped soybean stover (cSS), mineralized groundnut solution (mGS) and mineralized soybean solution (mSS). The mean daily DMYs for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd parities were (5.06ltrs ±2.33, 8.00 ltrs±3.23 and 6.89ltrs±4.00 respectively). These means differed significantly (p&lt;0.05). Results of the current study have indicated that milk yield is influenced by parity with cows in 2nd parity showing the highest milk yield of first three parities.