Why Is the Number of Children with Biliary Atresia Increasing?

Question

A colleague’s child recently underwent biliary atresia surgery, and two months after the operation, a liver function test revealed some elevated indicators, which were not present in the previous two checks. The child has recently started introducing solid foods. Why does it seem that the number of children with biliary atresia is increasing?

Answer

Biliary atresia is one of the common causes of neonatal jaundice and is a congenital disease often caused by poor embryonic development. The condition can be classified into intrahepatic and extrahepatic types, with early symptoms primarily manifested as painless jaundice that gradually worsens, usually appearing within 1 to 2 weeks after birth. Treatment mainly relies on surgical reconstruction of bile drainage, with the best surgical timing being within two months after birth. Beyond this period, it may lead to irreversible biliary cirrhosis, resulting in poor long-term prognosis. The surgical approach is based on anastomosis between the residual bile duct and the digestive tract. For intrahepatic atresia, special procedures should be considered…