An Observational Study of Smoflipid vs Intralipid on the Evolution of Intestinal Failure–Associated Liver Disease in Infants With Intestinal Failure

Background SMOFlipid has a more diverse lipid profile than traditional Intralipid and has become the standard lipid for patients in our intestinal rehabilitation program. Our objective was to compare outcomes in neonates with intestinal failure (IF) who received SMOFlipid against those receiving Intralipid. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of infants with IF with a minimum follow‐up of 12 months in 2008–2016. Patients were stratified into 2 groups: group 1 received SMOFlipid; group 2 was a historical cohort who received Intralipid. The primary outcome was liver function evaluated using conjugated bilirubin (CB) levels. Statistical analysis included the Mann‐Whitney U and χ2 tests, with an α value < 0.05 considered significant. Approval was obtained from our institutional review board. Results Thirty‐seven patients were evaluated (17 = SMOFlipid, 20 = Intralipid). SMOFlipid patients were less likely to reach CB of 34 (24% vs 55%, P = 0.05), 50 µmol/L (11.8% vs 45%; P = 0.028), and did not require Omegaven (0% vs 30%; P = 0.014). CB level at 3 months after initiation of parenteral nutrition (PN) was lower in patients receiving SMOFlipid (0 vs 36 µmol/L; P = 0.01). Weight z‐scores were improved for patients receiving SMOFlipid at 3 months (−0.932 vs −2.092; P = 0.028) and 6 months (−0.633 vs −1.614; P = 0.018). There were no differences in PN‐supported patients or demographics between the groups. Conclusion Use of SMOFlipid resulted in decreased development of IF‐associated liver disease in patients with IF when assessed using biochemical tests.