Sonographic Assessment of Foetal Growth Indices and Haemodynamics at Different Stages of Gestation in Goats: A Review

Ultrasonography is a useful non-invasive technique to measure the foetal growth, age and viability in goats. The maternal and foetal parameters such as uterine lumen diameter, placentome size, crown rump length, biparietal diameter, foetal orbit length, trunk diameter, occipito-snout diameter, thoracic diameter, long and short axis of heart, diameter of aorta, umbilical cord diameter, humerus, femoral and tibial length were studied in different breeds of goats to assess the foetal development. Doppler ultrasonic technique has been used to monitor the uterine and umbilical arterial blood flow in pregnant animals. However, there is a scarcity of data on the haemodynamic indices and blood flow velocity of the uterine artery during pregnancy to determine the normal physiological or pathological states. These parameters could serve as valuable determinants for the normal intrauterine foetal development and thus differentiates from gestational pathologies in goats. This review highlights the pivotal role of ultrasonography and Doppler techniques in advancing our understanding of foetal growth and maternal hemodynamics in goats.