Aspects to the relationship between the pre-natal development and birth weight and the post-natal growth in pigs

Abstract

The birth weight is an important parameter to the swine development. However, the muscular tissue grows after birth by an hiperplasic condition, after an hipertrofic development during the gestation. Some studies have showed that the number of muscle cells presented in the animal at birth is more important than the birth weight. It is possible to manipulate the hipertrofic growth, mainly by nutrition. This review discuss the relationship between the hipertrofic muscular growth and the postnatal development.