Growth of the conceptus from day 33 to 45 of pregnancy is minimally associated with concurrent hormonal or metabolic status in postpartum dairy cows

• The associations between metabolic indicators and conceptus growth during early pregnancy were modeled in the dairy cow.
• Uterine disease and body weight were associated with the capacity of the cow to become pregnant.
• Most of the cow-level indicators in the statistical model of conceptus growth failed to achieve statistical significance.
• Associations of conceptus size with maternal insulin and body weight were present but the magnitude was small.
• A major association of metabolic status with conceptus growth from d 33 to 45 of pregnancy was not found.

A hypothetical explanation for pregnancy loss in postpartum dairy cows is that the metabolic environment of the cow inhibits the growth of the conceptus and places the pregnancy at risk for loss. The objective of the current study, therefore, was to model the association between cow-level metabolic indicators and conceptus growth during early pregnancy (day 33–45 after AI) and to determine if an association (if present) is large enough to cause pregnancy loss. Metabolic indicators included milk production, changes in body weight and body condition score, parity, and concentrations of circulating hormones and metabolites (glucose, non-esterified fatty acids, growth hormone, IGF1, progesterone, and pregnancy-associated glycoproteins). One-hundred cows were enrolled. Cows that became pregnant with single conceptus pregnancies (n = 53) weighed more (P < 0.007) and had fewer uterine polymorphonuclear neutrophils (uterine health indicator; P < 0.051) compared with cows that failed to become pregnant. The embryo and amniotic vesicle were measured by using ultrasound on day 33, 35, 38, 40, 42, and 45 of pregnancy. Most of the cow-level indicators that were included in the model of conceptus growth failed to achieve statistical significance. Day of pregnancy had the largest effect on conceptus growth (size and cross-sectional area of the embryo and amniotic vesicle; P < 0.001). There were effects of sex of fetus (male fetuses larger than female), insulin (negative association), and body weigh change (positive association) on embryo length and cross-sectional area but these effects were small when compared with the range in conceptus length or area that we observed. The conclusion was that the capacity of the cow to become pregnant was associated with body weight and uterine health but we failed to find a large association with metabolic status on conceptus growth from day 33 to 45 of pregnancy in lactating dairy cows.