Patient's question:
I have a friend whose child has developed cirrhosis of the liver, and the condition is very serious. The child's parents have been crying all day, and we were all shocked to hear about it. How could a child this young get cirrhosis of the liver? Isn't that a disease usually associated with heavy drinkers and people who are overweight?Doctor's answer:
Hello, according to experts, infantile and childhood cirrhosis does exist clinically, but severe cases are uncommon. There are multiple factors or causes that can lead to infantile and childhood cirrhosis. Infection is the main cause of infantile and childhood cirrhosis. At the same time, congenital biliary obstruction and congenital metabolic defects and genetic diseases are also relatively common causes of infantile and childhood cirrhosis. For example, due to certain enzyme deficiencies in the child's body, substances such as esters, amino acids, fats, or trace metals like copper and iron accumulate in the liver, which can then lead to cirrhosis.