The perinatal¬ period is the most perilous in the life of all animals. Perinatal calf mortality in the first 48 hours of life has been estimated to be between 3 and 10.3%. More than 60% of producers have reported¬ that most of their calf mortality occurs at birth. The main causes of perinatal morbidity and mortality are¬, in descending order of importance¬, combined respiratory and metabolic acidosis¬, parturient trauma, hypoglobulinemia, congenital infections and deficiencies, and omphalophlebitis. Some¬ 90% of calves that die in the perinatal period were alive¬ at the start of calving, and so much of this loss is preventable. Management of the newborn¬ dairy calf is best achieved through implementation of simple protocols that document¬ the correct strategies to be followed at the herd level and the correct procedures to be performed¬ at the individual animal level. These protocols cover management of the prepartum cow, management of calving (monitoring of eutocia and detection and management¬ of dystocia)¬, and newborn calf care. Therefore, it is imperative to provide immediate evaluation and care of newborn calves to ensure calf survival and health and prevent economic losses¬ associated with perinatal¬ mortality.
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