Neonatal Hepatitis

You might not know as much about neonatal hepatitis as you think you do. When you think of hepatitis you tend to think of rabid sex parties, IV drug use, blood transfusions, and drinking contaminated water in a third world country. Well, it should seem unlikely that is where it came from. Neonatal hepatitis needs to bee explained further.

The onset of neonatal hepatitis is very young, usually between 1-2 moths and long before they are exposed to traditional sources of hepatitis. In adults,A,B, or C hepatitis is caused by an infection of a virus. In neonatal hepatitis. 80% of the time there is no known viral agent. The most obvious presentation is jaundice, the yellowing of the skin but in further examination an enlarged liver and spleen will be found. The jaundice is a product of bile being blocked from entering the intestines. It can also be caused by biliary atresia so that will need to be checked. It “backs up” into the blood and show its self as a yellow coloration. That blockage prevents the absorption of several key vitamins and fats. That can stop growth was well as leading to other problems such as cerebral palsy but those are generally only when the hepatitis is associated with rubella or cytomegalovirus, both rather rare in the US.

Complications of neonatal hepatitis

Despite the two notable exception mentioned above, most infants, around 80%, will recover with no long term effects. The rest will develop scarring of the liver know a cirrhosis. If there is extensive damage then a liver transplant will be needed.

One of the biggest complications happens before the hepatitis has run it's course. That would be the lack of vitamins and fat that retard size. The lack of vitamin A is also related to growth, like fats, and good vision development as well. Poor bone and cartilage development is related to the lack of vitamin D so rickets is a concern. Vitamin K is associated with clotting so bleeding and bruising are problems and then there is vitamin E is responsible for coordination Further more, if the liver is damaged so it can't remove and cleanse the bile it can lead to irritable skin and colic.

Treatment for neonatal hepatitis

Unfortunately, there is no standard treatment for hepatitis. However, since it generally clears up by its self, the infants can be given vitamin supplements to help as well as more easily digestible fats till the hepatitis passes.