Sheep

Sheep have a similar physiology to humans, can get many of the same diseases, have a short gestation period, and their young are born at a similar weight to human babies. These characteristics are valuable in research studies related to respiratory diseases and fetal development.

Sheep have contributed to many medical advancements for premature babies.  Steroid injections to accelerate fetal lung development in pregnant mothers at risk for giving birth too early and the development of surfactant therapy which treats Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) in premature babies are two advancements that have saved many lives.

Recently, the sheep model advanced the development of an artificial womb. Premature lambs are placed in the womb and have been “born” from the womb successfully. Researchers hope to someday use this technology to help overcome extreme prematurity, which is the leading a cause infant mortality and morbidity.

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Sheep

Elle the sheep

Meet Elle.  She is a Crossbred sheep who is pregnant with twins. Elle is part of a maternal nutrition study focused on maintaining fetal growth in women that experience maternal constraint, a poorly understood disorder that limits fetal growth during pregnancy. The goal of the study is to determine the…

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Sheep

Mother sheep with lambs

These lambs are part of a maternal nutrition study. Whenever possible, lambs involved in research studies are raised with their mothers where they undergo normal social and emotional development. If a study requires hand-rearing, it must be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), a body responsible…

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Sheep

Ernest Loves His Head Scratched

Ernest is a ram and father to lambs needed for a maternal nutrition study. He lives in the same flock room as the ewes caring for their lambs so he can see, hear, and smell the other sheep.  Since he has to be separate from the female sheep, his caregiver provides…

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Sheep

Research Sheep Colony

Sheep thrive in social groups of at least five members. Research facilities strive to design housing that best meets the needs of their animals.  This flock room is lined with hay that is changed every other day allowing the sheep to graze as they would naturally on a pasture.  Their…

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