Dietary fat during pregnancy and lactation increases milk fat and insulin-like growth factor I concentrations and improves neonatal growth rates in swine.

Primiparous (n = 24) and multiparous (n = 24) sows were used to examine the effects of supplemental dietary fat and induction of parturition (d 112) on colostrum and milk composition and suckling piglet growth. Sows were assigned to one of eight treatments on d 90 of gestation that included variables such as parity (1 vs. >/=3), dietary fat (0 vs. 10%), and farrowing (natural vs. induction via lutalyse on d 112). Piglets suckling fat-supplemented dams grew up to 25% faster than control pigs nursing unsupplemented sows (250 vs. 200 g/d; P < 0.01). Improved growth was correlated with elevated milk fat and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) concentrations associated with fat supplementation. Dietary fat elevated milk fat concentration at 48 and 72 h postfarrowing by 21.6 and 22.6%, respectively (P < 0.05). Compared with nonfat-fed controls, multiparous sows fed 10% fat showed a more consistent rise in milk fat concentration, with 26% and 41% elevations for induced or naturally farrowing sows, respectively, vs. a 19% reduction or a 1% elevation in induced or naturally farrowing gilts (P < 0.01). The concentration of milk IGF-I tended to be lower in gilts than in multiparous sows (P < 0.2, 95.7 vs. 117.4 microg/L), and levels were particularly low in milk from induced gilts receiving no additional dietary fat (44.7 microg/L). However, fat supplementation elevated IGF-I to levels (110.6 microg/L) exceeding those measured in unsupplemented, naturally farrowing control sows and gilts (95.8 microg/L). In conclusion, supplemental dietary fat elevates milk fat in multiparous sows more than primiparous gilts regardless of farrowing treatment (induced vs. natural farrowing) and improves piglet growth throughout lactation irrespective of parity or farrowing treatment. The potential of supplemental dietary fat to reverse the reductions in milk IGF-I observed in first-parity females and in dams induced to farrow merits further investigation.