Importância da Ingestão de Colostro para Neonatos Bovinos – Revisão de Literatura

Abstract

Birth is a milestone of physiological changes and adaptations to the animal's new state in the extrauterine environment. The first 24 hours are crucial for the animal's life. Mortality rates in newborns range from 8 to 11% (Godden, 2008). Providing colostrum in adequate volume, quality and time from birth to the first ingestion is essential for the transfer of passive immunity, provision of energy and maturation of the digestive tract (Hammon et al., 2012). The immune status of animals is crucial for their survival, as it allows them to avoid and fight infections, allowing their normal growth and development. Thus, innate and acquired (passive) immunity are essential because they act to protect newborns (Ussman, 2011).

This review aims to gather information from the literature on the importance of colostrum in newborn immunity, considering that cattle need to transfer immunity via colostrum due to the placental characteristic of the species, which does not allow the animal to be born with a functional immune system for its development in the environment.

Breast milk is an important example of passive immunity transfer in the postnatal period. It has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory functions. Passive immunity in calves occurs through the ingestion of colostrum and during this process the epithelial cells in the small intestine allow the passage of macromolecules from the lumen so that they can circulate in the blood. However, before arriving, the proteins pass through lactiferous ducts and it is mainly the cells of the jejunum and ileum that absorb the immunoglobulins (Bessi, 1996).

Based on the data obtained in the literature, it can be concluded that passive immunity is essential for newborn cattle, and that failure to transfer the vaccine after birth can directly affect the health of the newborn, leading to a decrease in its development or even its death. We can say that the main form of immunization for calves is the ingestion of colostrum in the first hours of life, which is rich in immunoglobulins that will be absorbed by the newborn, providing it with immunity against pathogens. It is up to producers to adopt measures that ensure the ingestion of colostrum by newborns, ensuring the correct immunization of these animals.