Mysterious hepatitis: Parents are wary of symptoms of digestive disorders in children

What is viral hepatitis?

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver tissue. Usually caused by viruses like A, B, and C, according to doctor, Dr. Michael Klatte, Head of Department Infectious Diseases at Dayton Children’s Hospital in Ohio (USA).

Some other causes are alcohol, certain drugs and toxins, and autoimmune hepatitis – a condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the liver.

Hepatitis is uncommon in children, especially non-viral hepatitis. This is why mysterious cases of hepatitis cause anxiety and are under investigation health WebMD.

Mysterious cases of hepatitis in children are causing concern Shutterstock

Most have symptoms of digestive disorders

Cases of hepatitis can have a variety of symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, yellowing of the skin and eyes, fever, and fatigue.

“Most of the children in the reported cases had gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain,” said Dr. Norberto Rodriguez-Baez, Professor of Pediatrics at the University Medical Center University of Texas Southwestern (USA), said, according to WebMD. He said, the next symptom is jaundice, very few cases of children with fever.

Therefore, if the child has digestive disordersparents need to pay more attention to whether their child has jaundice or yellow eyes to contact a doctor, noted Dr Meera Chand, from the UK Health Security Service.

What is the cause?

All infected children were tested for hepatitis A, B or C, for exposure to toxins and medications, for autoimmune disease, but all were not.

Instead, doctors have found an adenovirus, in about 50% of cases globally, according to WebMD.

The adenovirus usually causes the common cold and stomach upset, and rarely hepatitis.

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Parents need to pay attention to the typical signs of hepatitis such as yellowing of the skin and eyes Shutterstock

Parents should not worry too much

“Severe hepatitis leading to liver failure is extremely rare,” says Dr. Klatte WebMD.

Dr Meera Chand, from UKHSA, said parents shouldn’t be alarmed as the chance of a child contracting the disease is “extremely low”.

Dr Fischer, a pediatric gastroenterology and organ transplant specialist at Children’s Mercy Hospital (USA), said the most important treatment is intravenous fluids if the child becomes dehydrated, most children recover. Liver is fully reversible and has little lasting impact. Only in severe cases, a liver transplant is required, according to WebMD.