Importance of Selected Nutrients and Additives in the Feed of Pregnant Sows for the Survival of Newborn Piglets

Abstract

This systematic review analyzed the effect of selected nutrients and additives in the feed of pregnant sows on the survival of newborn piglets. We analyzed 720 peer-reviewed publications in English in PubMed® and Web of Science®, dated July 2023 to January 2024, related to the effect of dietary supplementation with fatty acids and various percentages of protein, amino acids, and/or sources of dietary fiber on the offspring of gestating sows. While several papers evaluated the effect of nutrition on gestating sows, only a few delved into the distinct feeding strategies required at each stage of gestation to meet the NRC’s nutritional requirements for maternal tissue gain and postnatal neonatal survival and growth. This body of research suggests that as gestation progresses the sow’s nutritional requirements increase, as the NRC established, to satisfy their own metabolic needs and those of their fetuses. Additional research is needed to determine an optimal feeding strategy.