Paediatric hepatitis: what signs to look out for?
Paediatric hepatitis, the mysterious hepatitis alarm is growing in young children. All the symptoms to watch out for
Health authorities worldwide are investigating a mysterious increase in severe cases of acute hepatitis in children. Symptoms include nausea, lethargy and jaundice.
Mysterious hepatitis: what we know
About 170 cases of liver inflammation of unknown origin have been identified worldwide in children under the age of 10.
Of these, as reported by the World Health Organisation (WHO), one child died and 17 needed a liver transplant.
The alarm was first raised by British health officials and to date the mysterious hepatitis has been found in 10 European countries, the United States and Israel.
According to Italian authorities, there have been 11 reports of acute hepatitis in Italy.
The worrying thing is that the cases are not linked to known viruses usually associated with hepatitis A, B, C, D and E.
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Suspicious signs of paediatric hepatitis
Parents are asked to pay attention to the presence of some mild symptoms lasting more than a week, such as:
- malaise, fatigue, joint pains, fever
- loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting
- abdominal pain, light-coloured stools and dark urine.
On the other hand, it is recommended to seek immediate medical attention in case of jaundice, i.e. if you notice yellowing of the eyes and skin.
Possible causes of the mysterious paediatric hepatitis
The exact cause of these hepatitises is unknown.
Early cases investigate the theory of a viral infection, probably with an adenovirus, a common family of viruses that can cause the common cold or acute gastroenteritis in immunocompromised children.
Other scientists said that reduced immunity due to lockdown during the pandemic could be another explanation, as well as the hypothesis of a mutated version of the hepatitis virus.
For the time being, experts urge not to be alarmed but to pay attention to suspicious signs.
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