Liver disease

Abstract

Almost two-thirds of children with liver disease present in the neonatal period with prolonged jaundice. Although physiological jaundice is common in neonates (Table 1), infants who have severe or persistent jaundice should be investigated to exclude hemolysis, sepsis, or underlying liver disease. Neonatal jaundice that persists beyond 14 or 21 days should always be investigated, even in breast-fed babies. The long-term prognosis of neonatal liver disease depends on its etiology (1).