Hepatitis: How to Care for Your Child
Hepatitis is when the liver gets inflamed, often from a viral infection, and can't work as well as it should. The liver, an organ in the right upper abdomen, has several jobs, including breaking down fatty food, storing energy, clearing toxins from the blood, and making proteins that help blood to clot. Depending on the type of hepatitis, the liver infection can go away or remain in the body.
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Talk to your health care provider before you give your child any over-the-counter medicines (the kind you can buy without a prescription), such as pain or fever medicines (like acetaminophen or ibuprofen) or herbal supplements.
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Do not give aspirin to your child or teen as it has been linked to a rare but serious illness called Reye syndrome.
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Make sure your child gets plenty of rest.
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Your child should eat normally and drink plenty of liquids.
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To keep viruses from spreading, family members should wash their hands well and often, and avoid sharing utensils or towels.
Your child has:
Your child:
What causes hepatitis? Hepatitis can be caused by viruses, certain medicines, and some medical problems. Children who have hepatitis usually have hepatitis A, which spreads through food or water contaminated with stool (poop). It can cause flu-like symptoms, belly pain, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes). Some people have few or no symptoms but can still pass the virus to others. Hepatitis A usually goes away completely within a few months.
Hepatitis B and C can cause similar symptoms. They're spread through body fluids; sexual contact; or from mother to child, usually around the time of birth. Hepatitis B and C may stay in the body and can cause long-term liver problems.
Rarely, other common viruses, like those that cause mono or a cold, also can cause hepatitis.
Are there vaccines to prevent hepatitis? Vaccines are available to protect against hepatitis A and hepatitis B.