Majallah-i Dānishgāh-i ̒Ulūm-i Pizishkī-i Bābul (Dec 2009)
Effect of Clofibrate on Prolonged Jaundice of Term Neonates
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Fifteen to forty percent of neonates developed to prolonged jaundice. Several therapeutic modalities have been used for the treatment of prolonged jaundice. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of clofibrate on prolong jaundice in full term neonates. METHODS: This double blind clinical trial study was done on 56 neonates that divided randomly in two groups. Treatment group received clofibrate 100mg/kg by oral and control group received sterile water. Inclusion criteria were term neonates with prolonged jaundice (bilirubin concentration higher than 10 mg/dl) in neonates older than 14 days old). All babies were fed exclusively by their own mothers milk. Exclusion criteria were using of phenobarbital or traditional medicine and neonates with clinical and paraclinical sign of liver disease or direct hyperbilirobinemia above 1.5 mg. Bilirubin concentrations were measured before and 72 hours after treatment and compared in both groups. FINDINGS: Distribution of sex, blood group and Rh in mother and neonate and mean of age, birth weight, hematocrit and hemoglobin showed no significant difference before intervention between two groups. The mean level (mg/dl) of indirect bilirubin (11.7±1.4 in control and 12.4±1.6 in case) and direct bilirubin (0.4±0.1 in control and 0.5±0.1 in case) wasn significant difference between two groups before treatment, but the mean level of indirect bilirubin after treatment in case (8.4±1.8) was significantly lower than control (10.4±2) (p=0.000). The mean level of direct bilirubin after treatment showed no significant difference between case (0.4±0.1) and control (0.5±0.1). CONCLUSION: Clofibrate is an effective agent in reduction of serum bilirubin level in term healthy neonates with prolonged jaundice.
