User:Mr. Ibrahem/Neonatal hepatitis

Neonatal hepatitis refers to prolonged cholestasis in a baby (high conjugated bilirubin). Some use the term when this occurs for any reason, while others use the term only when the cause is unknown. Symptoms may include yellowish skin and eyes, itchiness, and dark urine. Complications may include failure to grow normally, bleeding, and liver failure.

The cause may be unknown, viral infection, metabolic disease, anatomical abnormalities such as biliary atresia, tumor, toxin exposure, or autoimmune disorder. The most commonly implicated metabolic condition is galactosaemia and the most common infection is cytomegalovirus. Diagnosis may involve ultrasound and liver biopsy.

Treatment may include special nutrition, vitamin supplementation, and ursodeoxycholic acid. Occasionally if end stage liver disease occurs a liver transplant is required.

Neonatal hepatitis affects about 1 in 2,500 newborns. About 25% of cases have an unknown cause and this has become less common as medicine has advanced. Biliary atresia represents about 25% of cases, while infections represent about 10%, and parenteral nutrition, alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, and perinatal asphyxia each cause about 5%.