Treatment of jaundice in full term newborn infants with clofibrate

ABSTRACT

Clofibrate is an antilipidemic agent and a glucuronosyl transferase inducer. The aim of this study was to test the therapeutic effect ofclofibrate in full term neonates with non-hemolytic jaundice. A case control study was performed on 60 full term neonates with non-hemolytic hyperbilirubinemia. Thirty neonales were treated with a single oral dose of clofibrate [100 mg/kg] plus phototherapy [clofibrate group] while 30 other neonates [control group] received only phototherapy. The mean total serum bilirubin levels at 12th, 24th and 48 hours of treatment were significantly [p<0.001] lower in the clofibrate group [15.5 +/- 2.7, 12.5 +/- 2.9, 10.6 +/- 1.9mg/dl] as compared with the control group [22.4 +/- 3.3, 18.6 +/- 3.1, 15.3i2.3mg/dl]. The mean duration of phototherapy was significantly reduced with clofibrate administration from 53'16.8 hours in the control group to 29 +/- 13 hours in the clofibrate group [p<0.0001]. No side effects were observed during the treatment and 2 days after discharge Clofibrate could be used effectively in non-hemolytic neonatal hyperbilirubinemia without any apparent side effects. However, the widespread use of this drug needs to be confirmed by further larger and longitudinal follow up studies.