Biliary atresia is a rare liver disease that affects infants and fetuses’ bile ducts, leading to liver damage. Although infrequent, biliary atresia is the most common cause of jaundice among newborns. The illness is usually detected soon after birth and can be fatal if not treated. Most symptoms are easily noticeable yet can often be confused with other liver ailments.
New parents need to understand the types, causes, symptoms, and available treatments of biliary atresia to ensure they identify the illness early on, reducing the chances of a fatality.
Bile ducts are tubes that take the bile fluid produced by the liver to the small intestine. The liquid is crucial in the digestion process and also carries waste by-products. In biliary atresia, a child’s bile ducts are blocked, causing the fluid to accumulate in the liver. In addition to harming the liver, it also impacts several vital body functions.
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Types
The most common type of this disease is perinatal biliary atresia. It occurs after birth, frequently detected when the baby is between two to four weeks old. The second and the less common type is fetal biliary atresia. As the name suggests, it appears while a baby is still developing in the mother’s womb.
Causes
Experts are sure that the illness is not genetically derived. However, beyond this, they remain unsure of the causes of biliary atresia. Plausible explanations for the ailment include immune system problems, viral or bacterial infections, genetic mutations, and exposure to toxins. Research into these factors as causes of biliary atresia is still ongoing. Experts have noted that premature babies are at greater risk for biliary atresia.
Symptoms
Biliary atresia symptoms often show between two weeks to two months of life. Caregivers will notice signs of jaundice, light-coloured faecal discharge, dark urine, swollen belly, and weight loss in their child.
Diagnosis And Treatment
Imaging tests, blood tests, liver biopsy, and diagnostic surgery can help diagnose biliary atresia.
Treatment of the disease requires surgery. This can either be the Kasai procedure or a liver transplant. In the Kasai procedure, the surgeon bypasses the blocked bile ducts, directly connecting the bile drainage from the liver to the small intestine. While the surgery accords some years of reasonably good health and growth to the child, the bile starts backing up into the liver at some point. The child might need a liver transplant over time.
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