We love our children, which makes it scary to learn of potential outbreaks that specifically affect them. On top of the global pandemic, an outbreak of pediatric hepatitis has been discovered all over the world, particularly in the United States.
Thankfully, awareness and prevention are crucial to protecting your children from exposure to viral hepatitis. Here’s everything you need to know about hepatitis and how it affects children.
What is Hepatitis?
General hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver. It can be caused by several situations, including viral infections, alcohol consumption, some medications, or other health conditions. Another form of the condition known as autoimmune hepatitis occurs when the body’s immune system attacks a person’s liver.
Certain types of viral hepatitis range from temporary to chronic. Nevertheless, each type derives from a different virus and can be contracted by various causes.
The five primary classifications of the disease include hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Of the five, hepatitis B and C usually develop into chronic diseases. The WHO estimates that about 354 million people live with these two forms of the virus.
Types of Hepatitis
Hepatitis A
This is a temporary contraction of the hepatitis A virus (HAV). Extremely contagious hepatitis A occurs when someone unintentionally ingests the virus. Even in tiny portions, the presence of hepatitis A in foods or drinks can affect anyone consuming the products.
Thankfully, hepatitis is both treatable and preventable. Vaccines are available for hepatitis A, and symptoms rarely develop into chronic complications.
Hepatitis B
Derived from the hepatitis B virus (HBV), this condition appears when bodily fluids from an infected person enter the body of another person who isn’t infected. Bodily fluids like blood can interact through sexual contact or sharing medical equipment like syringes.
Hepatitis can be temporary, but it comes with a risk of becoming chronic, thus leading to future health complications like liver cancer or cirrhosis. Thankfully, hepatitis B is preventable by vaccine.
Hepatitis C
Similar to hepatitis B, hepatitis C is contracted through interactions with blood from another infected person. It comes from the hepatitis C virus (HCV), especially when people share medical equipment like syringes and needles. Unfortunately, unlike hepatitis B, there is no vaccine for hepatitis C.
More than half of cases involving hepatitis C develop into chronic conditions. Thus, the best way to prevent hepatitis C is to avoid engaging in high-risk behaviors and get regularly tested for the condition.
Hepatitis D
Sometimes known as “Delta hepatitis,” hepatitis D comes from the hepatitis D virus (HDV). It only occurs in people who have also experienced hepatitis B. Similarly to hepatitis B, hepatitis D occurs when an individual comes into contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids.
Like hepatitis B, cases can vary from temporary to chronic. Hepatitis D can also infect a person experiencing hepatitis B simultaneously, otherwise known as a “coinfection.”
Hepatitis E
Hepatitis E is a foodborne illness that mostly occurs in people who ingest contaminated water or undercooked meat. Derived from the hepatitis E virus (HEV), cases of hepatitis E are extremely rare in the United States. Thus, cases in the U.S. typically only occur in people who traveled internationally to places where hepatitis E is common.
Although there is no vaccine for hepatitis E, chronic developments of the conditions are rare, and most people make a full recovery without complications.
How Does Hepatitis Affect Children?
Hepatitis affects children in the same way it occurs in adults, causing inflammation in a child’s liver. If your child gets diagnosed with hepatitis, the severity of their condition and the longevity of the virus greatly depends on the type of hepatitis it is.
As mentioned previously, hepatitis can range from temporary to chronic, and certain types are more preventable than others. Regardless of the type, it’s essential to seek medical treatment immediately to prevent future complications.
Causes
There are many causes of hepatitis in children. Contraction of any of the following viruses leads to an increased risk for hepatitis exposure:
- Other hepatitis viruses: Exposure to other hepatitis types increases your child’s risk of contracting another type of hepatitis.
- Epstein-Barr virus: The virus that causes mononucleosis.
- Cytomegalovirus: A virus within the herpes family.
- Varicella zoster virus (chickenpox): Although rare, hepatitis can be a complication of chickenpox.
- Enteroviruses: A family of viruses commonly occurring in children.
- Herpes simplex virus: Contracting herpes can increase the risk of hepatitis exposure.
- Rubella: A mild disease that can elevate your child’s risk for hepatitis.
- Parvovirus: This is the virus that causes the fifth disease.
- Adenovirus: Viruses that cause children’s colds, ear infections, and tonsillitis.
Exposure to any of the types of viral hepatitis may correlate with the following scenarios:
Hepatitis A
- Ingesting food made by an infected person who failed to wash their hands completely
- Contact of the face or mouth with infected feces or diapers leads to childcare outbreaks
- The use of illegal drugs
- Drinking contaminated water
- International travel where hepatitis A is prevalent
- Although rare, blood transfusions can cause hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
- Coming into contact with sharp objects like needlesticks
- Sharing personal toiletry items such as toothbrushes and razors
- Children born to moms living with hepatitis B
- Children living with a disability
- Children living in long-term care facilities
- Coming into contact with an infected person’s cuts
- Children living with blood-clotting disorders in need of blood products
- Children needing dialysis to treat kidney failure
- Coming into contact with someone in their household carrying the virus
- Teens engaging in high-risk activities, including unprotected sex and intravenous (IV) drug use
Hepatitis C
- Children born to mothers living with hepatitis C
- Children needing dialysis to treat kidney failure
- Teens engaging in high-risk activities, including unprotected sex and intravenous (IV) drug use
- Children living with a blood-clotting disorder
Hepatitis D
- Hepatitis D only occurs in people who have also experienced hepatitis B, making it very rare for the virus to appear in children. It can’t be spread from a mom to their baby during pregnancy. Thus, your child should be protected from hepatitis D if they receive their hepatitis B vaccine as a baby.
Hepatitis E
- Hepatitis E is very rare in the United States, so it’s unlikely that your child will come into contact with this virus.
Symptoms
When it comes to hepatitis in children, no two symptoms are the same. Thus, depending on the type of hepatitis, your child’s symptoms may range from mild to severe.
Some children don’t experience any symptoms, making them difficult to spot. However, in an average viral hepatitis case, your child may exhibit the following symptoms:
- Abdominal pain and/or sensitivity, particularly in the upper right corner
- Jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin)
- Fatigue/malaise
- Dark-colored urine
- Abdominal pain
- Light-colored stools
- Flu-like symptoms
- Joint pain and sore muscles
- Diarrhea
- Itchy hives
Diagnosis
Doctors will diagnose your child by evaluating their health history, giving them a physical exam, and performing a variety of blood tests. These blood tests will give their doctor information about their liver enzymes, cellular blood counts, liver function, coagulation tests, and antibody and polymerase chain reactions.
If necessary, they may perform a few other tests to confirm your child’s diagnosis. These may include a CT scan, an MRI, an Ultrasound, or a liver biopsy.
Treatment
There’s no cure for any of the hepatitis types, but most cases of acute hepatitis dissipate with time. However, certain types of hepatitis like B and C can lead to chronic hepatitis. Simply put, treatment will depend on several factors: your child’s age, health, symptoms, and liver status.
Thus, doctors mostly focus on preventing further damage to your child’s liver and relieving uncomfortable symptoms. In severe cases, a hospital stay or a liver transplant may be necessary, but this is rare. In most cases, medications, care measures, and routine blood testing all contribute to hepatitis treatment.
The Hepatitis Outbreak
There has been a pediatric hepatitis outbreak in 22 countries, with the majority of cases in the United States and the United Kingdom. As of the CDC’s latest report, 180 cases of pediatric hepatitis have been reported in the U.S. Of the cases reported, some have been severe, resulting in hospitalizations and liver transplants.
Disease experts aren’t sure what’s causing this outbreak of pediatric hepatitis, but they’ve come to a promising hypothesis. They discovered that the majority of affected patients had the presence of the adenovirus, type 41, which is commonly attributed to upset stomachs.
Even so, this isn’t a conclusion, and there could be several coinciding factors that are still under investigation.
What Parents Need to Know
The majority of pediatric hepatitis cases in the U.S. have been mild and severe onsets of the disease continue to be rare. Any noticeable symptoms of potential hepatitis (e.g., jaundice) must be addressed immediately to prevent severe complications. If you’re concerned that your children may have pediatric hepatitis, contact their pediatrician.
In the meantime, prevention is key to the reduction of hepatitis exposure. If the adenovirus theory proves correct, vaccines will not be effective with this variation of hepatitis.
Even so, it’s wise to consider getting your child vaccinated for hepatitis A and B if you haven’t done so already. Otherwise, practice personal hygiene by washing your hands to prevent the spread of fecal matter.
