Early symptoms
Abdominal swelling
Fatigue (extreme tiredness)
General weakness
Painful or tender abdomen
Reduced appetite
Later symptoms
Bruising easily
Enlarged liver
Enlarged spleen
Infections in the abdomen
Itching
Feeling confused or unusually forgetful
Loss of body hair
Reddened palms of the hands
Retaining water
Swelling of the legs and abdomen
Tremors
Urine that is dark in color
Vomiting blood
Wounds that take unusually long to heal
Causes of cirrhosis in children can include:
Alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency - A hereditary condition that can lead to lung and liver disease
Autoimmune hepatitis - Inflammation of the liver caused by the body’s immune system mistakenly attacking the liver
Bile duct diseases - Affects the tube that carries bile from the gallbladder to the small intestine during the normal course of digestion
Cystic fibrosis (CF) - An inherited genetic condition that affects mucus production, leading to lung infections and breathing difficulties.
Exposure to certain drugs and toxins - Including methotrexate (medication used to treat cancer), rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and high levels of vitamin A
Fatty liver disease - A group of conditions that affect the liver of a person without a history of alcoholism
Glycogen storage disease - A condition in which a child’s body is unable to process or store the energy found in foods
Hepatitis B - A viral infection that affects the liver and causes both acute (short-term) and chronic (ongoing) complications
Hepatitis C - A viral infection that leads to inflammation of the liver and other related complications
Tyrosinemia - A genetic condition that causes problems breaking down a specific amino acid – called tyrosine – that is found in most sources of protein
Wilson’s disease - A hereditary condition in which excessive amounts of copper accumulates in a child’s organs