Table 2.

Body weight, growth rate, and intestinal morphology of PT, NT, and FT piglets

Growth Parameters*	PT	NT	FT	P Value
Birth weight*, g	956 ± 43b	1212 ± 89a	1430 ± 96a	<0.001
Final weight*, g	1163 ± 51b	1583 ± 108a	1859 ± 132a	<0.001
Fractional growth rate*, g·kg−1·day−1	62 ± 5	67 ± 5	65 ± 4	0.9
Villus height§, µm
Proximal jejunum
At birth†	322 ± 18	372 ± 19	372 ± 41	0.3
Final‡	227 ± 32b	323 ± 27a,b	464 ± 23a	<0.001
Distal ileum
At birth†	383 ± 41	255 ± 31	352 ± 26	0.06
Final‡	240 ± 39b	508 ± 42a	503 ± 31a	<0.001
Crypt depth, µm
Proximal jejunum
At birth†	51 ± 3b	70 ± 4a	70 ± 7a	0.03
Final‡	69 ± 3	79 ± 4	77 ± 4	0.2
Distal ileum
At birth†	64 ± 11	51 ± 2	53 ± 2	0.45
Final‡	58 ± 4b	76 ± 5a	83 ± 5a	<0.001
Colon
At birth†	209 ± 21	175 ± 8	209 ± 18	0.18
Final‡	176 ± 11	183 ± 10	210 ± 10	0.15

Values are means ± SE; n = no. of pigs. Data analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc test, except for villus height data. FT, full term; NT, near term; PT, preterm.

^a,

^bMeans within a row with different superscripted letter differ (P < 0.05);

^*n = 27 PT pigs, n = 9 NT pigs, and n = 11 FT pigs;

^†n = 7 PT pigs, n = 5 NT pigs, and n = 5 FT pigs;

^‡n = 19 PT pigs, n = 9 NT pigs, and n = 11 FT pigs;

^§Villus height data analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test and Dunn’s multiple comparison test.