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Neonatal Hepatitis

Neonatal hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver in an infant that cannot be attributed to a specific known cause of liver disease.

your quick guide to this page

what is neonatal hepatitis?
Learn what defines neonatal hepatitis and what its general consequences are.
fast facts
Get a quick overview of neonatal hepatitis through statistics and bite-sized facts.
symptoms
Learn about the symptoms of neonatal hepatitis, how to recognize them, and what to do if you experience them.
what can I do?
Discover management and treatment strategies for neonatal hepatitis.
additional resources
Find useful links, education, articles, recipes and more that can help with neonatal hepatitis.

what is neonatal hepatitis?

Neonatal hepatitis means inflammation of the liver in an infant that cannot be attributed to a specific known cause of liver disease. Therefore, it is diagnosed upon exclusion of other known causes of liver disease.

fast facts

  • Neonatal hepatitis resolves on its own over a span of weeks to months.
  • About 20% of infants with neonatal hepatitis are infected by a virus that caused the inflammation before birth by their mother or shortly after birth

symptoms

  • Jaundice (yellowing of eyes and skin)
  • Difficulty gaining weight and growing normally
  • Enlarged liver and spleen

complications

Neonatal hepatitis resolves on its own over a span of weeks to months and does not require follow up after resolution of jaundice and inflammation of the liver. In some cases, there may be fibrosis in the liver before resolution, but usually this fibrosis is mild and improves over time. Infants are not at a higher risk of developing liver diseases as children and adults after resolution.

what can I do?

diagnosis

Neonatal hepatitis is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning that other known causes of liver disease in infancy must be ruled out. Infants who have jaundice are screened for possible causes of inflammation including viral infections, metabolic diseases, structural abnormalities of the liver and biliary system, and genetic conditions causing liver disease.

treatment

Infants may require supplementation of fat-soluble vitamins or speciality infant formulas to ensure proper growth and development if they have jaundice.

additional resources

Here are a few questions to ask your doctor or medical team:

  • What causes neonatal hepatitis?
  • How does neonatal hepatitis impact my child’s liver function?
  • What lifestyle changes can we make to support my child’s liver health?
  • What are the treatment options available for neonatal hepatitis?