Hepatitis in babies

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, almost always with hepatitis B. In the United States it is usually the mother source of infection of the newborn. Usually the child is infected during birth, not during pregnancy because the virus hardly crosses the placenta. After the birth, the less the likelihood of infection from the mother.

Symptoms and diagnosis in the majority of infants infected with hepatitis B develop chronic inflammation of the liver (chronic hepatitis) in which there is usually no symptoms until young adulthood. However, the disease is dangerous, a quarter of infected will probably die due to liver disease. Sometimes a child may increase the liver, an accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity (ascites), and elevated bilirubin in the blood causing jaundice. Prognosis and treatment of long-term prognosis is unknown. Infection with hepatitis B virus from newborns later increases the likelihood of liver disease, such as active hepatitis, cirrhosis or liver cancer. Pregnant women are regularly tested for the presence of hepatitis B. As a child infected mothers not normally infected by childbirth, giving him injections of hepatitis B immunoglobulin 24 hours after birth when the infection has not yet been confirmed. This process protects the child temporarily, and at the same time vaccination against hepatitis B, which provides long-term protection.seems to be feeding the child on the chest is not significantly higher risk of contracting hepatitis B, especially if the child has received the vaccine and immunoglobulins. However, if there is damage to the nipples or other breast disease, there is a likelihood of transmission of the virus to the baby. Newborn with chronic hepatitis with no symptoms of the disease is not treated. Infants with symptoms of hepatitis are provided supportive measures.