Cholestasis in neonatal intensive care unit: incidence, aetiology and management

Aim:  Prevalence, aetiology, management and outcome of cholestasis were evaluated in infants admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Methods:  Medical records of all infants admitted to two Italian level III NICUs from January 2005 to August 2007 were retrospectively reviewed. The role of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) therapy was also investigated.
Results:  Twenty-seven of 1289 enrolled infants developed cholestasis. In 25 infants, cholestasis had a multifactorial basis, while in two, no aetiology was found. UDCA did not significantly affect clinical and biochemical course of cholestasis. During a period of 12 months, eight cholestatic infants died, one underwent liver transplantation and 18 fully recovered.
Conclusion:  Infants admitted in NICU have a rate of cholestasis higher than that reported in the general population of live births; in most cases, cholestasis is associated to multiple risk factors and shows a favourable outcome. UDCA does not seem to affect clinical course of cholestasis in this setting.