Ahmedabad: Liver is one of the body’s most resilient organs and also an organ to never immediately announce its ailments. Specifically, in children, liver diseases are rarely picked up by simple observations as the symptoms such as fatigue, mild yellowing of the eyes, or a slightly enlarged belly are not noticeable immediately. By the time parents notice something is wrong, the condition may have been progressing for months, says Dr. Gaurav Chaubal, Director – Liver and Multi Organ Transplant, Nanavati Max Institute of Liver, Intestine & Pancreas Sciences, Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai.
Hence, it is important to create awareness about the observable signs and modern treatment modalities available today as early detection and treatment can help a child lead a successful adult life.
Causes of Paediatric Liver Disease:
Vaccines and regular screening have helped reduce the infectious causes of paediatric liver diseases. On the contrary, conditions linked to genetics, metabolism, and immune dysfunction, e.g. fatty liver disease (MASLD), Wilson’s disease, progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC), Alagille syndrome, autoimmune hepatitis, and biliary atresia have been growing rapidly over the past decade.
Due to subtle signs, most diseases, despite being present from birth, continue to go undiagnosed. Similarly, most of these conditions respond well to the treatment, provided they are detected in time. Some of the most common warning signs of liver damage in children are:
Persistent jaundice: Yellow eyes or skin beyond two to three weeks in newborns, or recurring jaundice in older children, always indicates liver conditions. Because in biliary atresia, surgery before 45 days of life can dramatically improve the outcomes.
In MASLD, lifestyle changes started before fibrosis develops can reverse the disease. Even in autoimmune hepatitis, early immunosuppression can help prevent cirrhosis. For genetic cholestatic diseases like PFIC and Alagille syndrome, newly approved IBAT inhibitor medications can now modify the disease course, improving growth, quality of life, and native liver survival.
But all this is possible only when the condition is detected in time. Advanced genetic testing through next-generation sequencing now makes precise diagnosis faster and less invasive than ever before.
Nanavati Max Hospital brings comprehensive paediatric hepatology to Ahmedabad with advanced diagnostics, the latest medical therapies, and transplant-level support when needed. Highly trained adult and paediatric liver disease experts visits Wishbone Orthopaedics, Navrangpura on the first and fourth Monday and second Wednesday of every month from 10am to 3pm. The launch of these OPD services in Ahmedabad reinforces Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital’s commitment to delivering world-class healthcare across India, ensuring that no individual’s health is compromised due to lack of resources or awareness.
