Blood pH, plasma carotene, vitamin A, albumin and globulin concentrations in newborn calves and in dams during the first three days of the postnatal period.

Blood pH, total plasma carotene, plasma vitamin A fractions and some plasma proteins were determined in newborn calves (n = 38) and their dams. Calves were assigned to one of two groups according to their blood pH immediately after birth: group 1 (normal) with pH above 7.2 (n = 27) and group 2 (slightly acidotic) with pH 7.0 to 7.2 (n = 11). The difference between the neonatal blood pH values of the two groups immediately post partum disappeared 24 h after birth. The blood pH of the dams was normal. The extremely low plasma carotene concentration (group 1: 32.7 micrograms/l; group 2:20.5 micrograms/l) and the low plasma globulin fractions (group 1:19.6 g/l; group 2:19.2 g/l) immediately after birth were elevated by the intake of colostrum. There was no significant change in plasma vitamin A fractions (retinol, retinyl ester) during the early postnatal period (3 days post partum) in newborn calves. The acid-base balance of newborn calves does not have any influence on the physiological alterations of plasma vitamin A, carotene and some plasma proteins during the first three days of life.