Neonatal Cholestasis Revisited!

Publication date: Available online 29 January 2019Source: Current Medicine Research and PracticeAuthor(s): Jaswinder Kaur, Nishant WadhwaAbstractCholestasis in infantile age group occurs in approximately 1 in 2500 term babies and is often missed by primary care physicians in the setting of physiologic jaundice. It suggests hepatobiliary dysfunction and is always pathologic. Any infant noticed to be jaundiced after 2 weeks should be evaluated for conjugated hyperbilirubinemia and an elevated direct bilirubin of more than 1 mg/dl merits timely evaluation and management. The most common causes of neonatal cholestasis are biliary atresia (25-40 %) followed by monogenetic disorders (25 %) and many other unknown or multifactorial causes. Once cholestasis is diagnosed, a systematic approach is the key to reach the diagnosis and initiate specific treatment which in many cases is lifesaving. Here we aim to provide a better work approach, clinical overview of potential differential diagnosis as well as treatment recommendations for timely diagnosis and management of neonatal cholestasis.
Source: Current Medicine Research and Practice - Category: General Medicine Source Type: research