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Pelvic Organ Prolapse project

Sow mortality, specifically as the result of pelvic organ prolapses, has significantly increased in recent years in the U.S. swine industry. This recent increase in prolapses has been reported across different regions, frustrating producers and veterinarians alike primarily due to lack of mitigation strategies, or even the ability to execute mitigation-based research projects. In 2018, the Iowa Pork Industry Center received funding from National Pork Board to lead an industry-wide effort in identifying specific areas that may be contributing to the increasing incidence of prolapses. 


The original survey project was completed in early 2019 and identified some potential risk factors that could be areas of interest for research. Research on understanding the root causes and potential mitigation strategies for pelvic organ prolapse is ongoing. Please see more information about our work below.



Videos

Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Identifying Biological Factors

 Zoe Kiefer describes her research on biological factors associated with pelvic organ prolapse in late gestation sows. This video focuses on the vaginal microbiome of commercial sows. Sows are classified as high or low risk for prolapse and the vaginal microbiome is analyzed for differences.

Factsheet

Pelvic Organ Prolapse Project Overview

  Amanda Chipman discusses the background of her pelvic organ research project. This video focuses on decreasing pelvic organ prolapse rates to improve economics, animal welfare, and caretaker morale. 

Factsheet

Body Condition and Pelvic Organ Prolapse

  Amanda Chipman describes her research focusing on sow body condition score as it relates to pelvic organ prolapse. 

Factsheet

Water and Pelvic Organ Prolapse

  Amanda Chipman describes her research focusing on water treatment as it relates to pelvic organ prolapse.  

Factsheet

Perineal Score and Pelvic Organ Prolapse

  Amanda Chipman describes the development of a perineal scoring system as it relates to pelvic organ prolapse.

FactSheets

English

English

English

Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Perineal Score Evaluation


Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) Project Summary


POP: Sow Body Conditioning Score


Water Treatment and Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Spanish

English

English

Prolapso de Órganos Pélvicos: Evaluación de 

Puntuación Perineal

The full final report from the initial Pelvic Organ Prolapse study is available for download! 


Take-home points:  

• An industry-wide survey was conducted with 104 sow farms representing approximately 400,000 sows and nearly half of the US swine industry, including large integrated companies and many independently owned sow farms.

 • Multiple factors that may contribute to POP in sows were identified, enabling the design of subsequent studies in specific areas of interest. 

• Many areas of presumed potential influence on pelvic organ prolapse have been shown to be minimally influential if at all. 

• A perineal scoring system was developed that is reproducible and indicative of risk of prolapse for individual sows. 

Final report- POP project (pdf)

Download

Pelvic Organ Prolapse project

Information and results from the 2018 Pelvic Organ Prolapse project. 

Download pdf

Pelvic Organ Prolapse Training Video

In order to determine rates of pelvic organ prolapse and  develop solutions, pelvic organ prolapses need to be properly identified and recorded on-farm. This video will help pig caretakers identify and document prolapses. If you would like access to this video and accompanying fact sheet, please fill out this form. 

Popular Press

400K Sows Provide Lessons in POP

 By Amanda Chipman, Chris Rademacher, Daniel Linhares, Gustavo Silva, and Jason W. Ross, Iowa State University Iowa Pork Industry Center. 

View Here

publications

Identification of the Genetic Basis of Sow Pelvic Organ Prolapse

View Here

Vaginal Microbiota Differences Associated with Pelvic Organ Prolapse Risk During Late Gestation Sows

View Here

Vaginal Microbiome & Serum Metabolite Differences in Late Gestation Commercial Sows At-Risk for POP

View Here

Circulating Biomarkers Associated with Pelvic Organ Prolapse Risk in Late Gestation Sows

View Here

Prolapse Incidence in Swine Breeding Herds Is a Cause for Concern

View Here

Presentations

Check out this webinar about the Pelvic Organ Prolapse project given by Dr. Jason Ross for the National Pork Board Animal Science Research Webinar Series, August 2018. 

More information

Visit the Iowa Pork Industry Center's website for more information on the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Project. Contact Jason Ross at jwross@iastate.edu with questions about the project.

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Copyright © 2018 Improving Pig Survivability  - All Rights Reserved. 

Select photos courtesy of National Pork Board and the Pork Checkoff. Des Moines, IA USA.


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