Question
What are the symptoms of neonatal biliary atresia?
Answer
Neonatal biliary atresia is a bile duct system obstruction disease caused by the gradual fibrosis of the common bile duct. Its clinical manifestations usually appear within a few weeks after birth, with primary symptoms including hyperbilirubinemia, clay-colored stools, and liver enlargement. As the condition progresses, the child may experience growth retardation, skin itching, and portal hypertension. The pathological process of biliary atresia is similar to that of neonatal hepatitis syndrome, and both often show similar symptoms within the first 2 weeks after birth. Although there have been reports of specific viral infections, the true source of infection has not been identified.