Serum cortisol and thyroid hormone concentrations and survival in foals born from mares with experimentally induced ascending placentitis

Abstract Background There are few publications on occurrence of nonthyroidal illness syndrome in foals and on the prognostic value of cortisol and thyroid hormone (TH) concentrations in newborn foals. Objectives To determine serum cortisol and TH concentrations (total and free thyroxine: T4 and FT4; total and free triiodothyronine: T3 and FT3) in foals born from mares with placentitis, to determine their association with survival, and their use as prognostic markers. Animals A cohort of 29 newborn foals comprising 5 Control, 14 Low‐risk, and 10 Sick foals were evaluated over the first week of life. Methods In this prospective study foals born to mares with experimentally‐induced placentitis were assigned to Low‐risk or Sick groups while foals born to control mares were classified as Control based on clinical findings. Foals were also classified as Term (n = 13), Dysmature (n = 7), or Premature (n = 9), and survival rate was recorded. Serum cortisol and TH hormone concentrations were measured at 0, 12, 24, 48, and 168 hours of life. Results Sick non‐surviving foals had lower (P < .05) T3 : cortisol ratio at 12 (3.68 ± 1.06 versus 18.58 ± 2.78), 24 (5.47 ± 2.34 versus 23.40 ± 3.82), and 48 (10.47 ± 6.29 versus 26.6 ± 2.90) hours of life when compared to Sick surviving foals and lower (P < .05) T4 : cortisol ratio at 12 (75.12 ± 21.71 versus 414.47 ± 58.47) and 24 hours (127.83 ± 55.21 versus 430.87 ± 80.31) after birth than Sick surviving foals. Conclusion and Clinical Importance Placental infections can impair fetal thyroid function. Low T3 : cortisol and T4 : cortisol ratios seem to be good prognostic markers in newborn foals.