Liver is one of the most crucial organs of the human body, which performs almost 500+ different functions. Liver converts the food one eats into energy and other vital components and also filters out the toxins.
Sometimes, due to some infections or conditions, liver functioning gets hampered. One such infection is hepatitis in children or pediatric hepatitis. It is inflammation of the liver that can damage and eventually destroy the liver cells. It is risky because it is infectious and can quickly spread from one child to another and can cause liver failure.
Causes
Pediatric hepatitis can be caused due to many reasons, out of which infection by viruses is the main cause. These viruses include:
- Hepatitis viruses (A, B, C, D, and E)
- Cytomegalovirus
- Epstein-Barr virus
- Herpes simplex virus
- Varicella zoster virus (chickenpox)
- Enteroviruses
- Rubella
- Adenovirus
- Parvovirus
Other conditions include autoimmune liver disease, which causes inflammation that leads to hepatitis.
Which children are at risk?
Children who are exposed to hepatitis virus are more likely to get this disease.
Hepatitis A is passed through fecal-oral contact and can be spread by:
- Exposure to contaminated water
- Consuming food made by an infected person who did not wash his/her hands thoroughly after using the washroom
- International travel to regions where hepatitis A is common
- Touching an infected person’s feces or dirty diaper and then putting your hands near your mouth. Outbreaks may happen in child-care centers
- Children having a blood-clotting disorder
- Kids with chronic liver diseases
Hepatitis B usually spreads when blood from an infected person enters in child’s bloodstream.
This may happen to:
- Children born to mothers who have hepatitis B
- Kids who need dialysis for kidney failure
- Children live in a house where a person is infected with the virus.
- Children who have a blood-clotting problem
Hepatitis C is passed through sexual contact in adults but mothers can pass it to their babies during pregnancy.
This may happen to:
- Children born to mothers who have the virus
- Children who have a blood clotting problem, such as hemophilia
- Children who need dialysis for kidney failure
- Teens who do high-risk activities. These include IV drug use and unprotected sex
Hepatitis D can only happen when a child has hepatitis B and can occur at the same time as hepatitis B infection. It cannot spread from a pregnant mother to her baby.
More common in under-developed countries, hepatitis E is similar to hepatitis A, which spreads through fecal-oral contact.
Symptoms
The most common hepatitis symptoms in children are:
- Dark urine
- Sore Muscles
- Diarrhea
- Stomach pain
- Yellow skin or eye whites are called jaundice
- Pale or clay-colored stool
- Flu-like symptoms
- Low-grade fever
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue
- Stomach pain or discomfort
- Aching joints
- Being extra tired
Diagnosis
Pediatric hepatitis is usually diagnosed by checking the child’s health history and conducting a physical exam. Other tests that might be needed are:
Blood tests including liver enzymes, liver function tests, Antibody and PCR to check for the type of hepatitis, cellular blood counts and coagulation tests.
You child might have to undergo CT scan, ultrasound of liver, MRI and livery biopsy to diagnose and confirm the disease.
Treatment of pediatric hepatitis
If your child is suffering from pediatric hepatitis, treatment will depend on the symptoms, age, and general health of the child. It will also depend on how severe the condition is.
The treatment will also depend on the cause of hepatitis to stop the damage to the liver and to ease symptoms. It may include:
- Medicine to control itching, treat the virus, or control an autoimmune disease
- Supportive care
- Reducing risk by not using herbal medicines
- Blood testing to know if the disease is progressing
- Hospitalization in severe cases
- Helping to prevent the spread of viral hepatitis by maintaining good personal health hygiene, such as handwashing
- Liver transplant is done for end-stage liver failure
If your child has symptoms of hepatitis, such as jaundice, or if your child is exposed to viruses that can cause the disease, contact a doctor at the earliest. Some children don’t have symptoms. Remember, getting vaccinated and having good hygiene can prevent pediatric hepatitis.
– Dr. Sunil Shenvi
