Neonatal cholestasis in Thai infants

Abstract

The objective of this study was to study etiologies and outcome of neonatal cholestasis in Thai infants. The medical records of infants aged less than 3 months with the diagnosis of neonatal cholestasis in Department of Pediatrics, Siriraj Hospital from 1993 to 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. The etiologies were diagnosed by history, physical examination, and proper investigations. There were 252 infants, including 135 males (53.6%) and 117 females (46.4%). The etiologies of cholestasis were idiopathic neonatal hepatitis (INH) 23%, extrahepatic biliary atresia (EHBA) 22.2%, total parenteral nutrition (TPN)-related cholestasis 18.3%, infection 9.9%, endocrine causes 6%, choledochal cyst 5.6%, Down syndrome 4.4%, hemolytic anemia 1.6%, and miscellaneous causes 9.1%, respectively. TPN-related cholestasis was increasingly found due to advance management of critically ill premature infants. Inborn error of metabolism were suspected in 8 patients (3.21%). Seventeen cases (6.7%) developed cholestasis during the first week of life due to hemolytic anemia, intrauterine infection, hypoxia and others. During the 3 month follow-up period, 6 cases died of progressive dysfunction of liver and one case with idiopathic neonatal hepatitis died from intracranial bleeding from vitamin K deficiency. In conclusion, INH and EHBA are the most common causes of neonatal cholestasis. Due to advance management and nutritional support in critically ill premature infants, TPN-related cholestasis is found more often. Inborn error of metabolism related to neonatal cholestases is uncommon in Thai infants. Overall short-term prognosis of neonatal cholestases is good.