Efficacy of oral fenofibrate in management of unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia in the neonate

AUTHOR(s) : Pathak NN, Deka Anupama, Saikia Bidyut
DOI No. : 10.31741/ ijhrmlp.v6.i1.2020.13

ABSTRACT :
Introduction: Neonatal jaundice is one of the commonest neonatal problems health care providers encounter every day. Though there are effective treatments like phototherapy and exchange transfusions, there is a need to search for an inexpensive, safe and effective drug therapy for this condition. Objectives were to study the efficacy of oral fenofibrate, a lipid-lowering drug in adults, in the management of unconjugated neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Materials and methods: Study design: Prospective, double-blinded. Setting: NICU of Silchar Medical College, from July 2017 to June 2018. 100 newborns with unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia divided into 2 groups- control and intervention, 50 in numbers in each group. Efficacy of oral fenofibrate was determined by comparing the control group (receiving phototherapy alone) to the intervention group (fenofibrate+phototherapy) by measuring serum bilirubin level at 0, 12, 24 and 48 hours and the duration of phototherapy. Results: The mean value of total serum bilirubin (TSB) in the fenofibrate group at 24 and 48 hours of starting phototherapy is considerably lower than the control group (p<0.005 and 0.001 respectively). No side effects of fenofibrate observed. Conclusion: Fenofibrate appears to be an effective drug in the management of unconjugated neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Keywords: Unconjugated; neonatal hyperbilirubinemia; phototherapy.

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