Sulphasalazine Induced Hepatotoxicity, A Risk factor of Meconium Aspiration Syndrome in Neonates:A Case Study

Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) may be defined as a respiratory distress which develops due to the aspiration of meconium (first feces of newborn infant). It remains as one of the most common causes of neonatal respiratory distress. Among the maternal complication Maternal Hepatitis was most common 2(3.5%) which was supported in another study by Vineeta Gupta, B.D. Bhatia and O.P. Mishra (1996) in BHU showed of the various antenatal complications studied, where only hepatitis was significantly associated with Meconium aspiration syndrome.[2] In this case a pregnant woman suffering with high grade fever with chills and arthralgia was treated with sulphasalazine for 5 days then the liver parameters were elevated in her due to sulphaselazine hepatotoxicity, it further lead to the development of meconium aspiration syndrome in newborn baby. So the treatment with sulphasalazine was discontinued and the hepatotoxicity was treated with liver protectants. In this case as a clinical pharmacist our main intervention is to avoid the use of sulphasalazine in pregnant women.