Increased liver in a child

Hepatomegaly is a condition where the liver is enlarged. It speaks of both infectious diseases and various pathologies. The normal size of a healthy liver in children - if it protrudes 1-2 centimeters from under the right subcostal arch. When probing the surface is smooth, the consistency is soft, elastic, the edge of the liver is rounded. To detect hepatomegaly easily, with the help of palpation or tapping of the abdominal cavity, and then, to confirm the diagnosis, ultrasound is assigned.

Why can a liver be enlarged?

The causes of liver enlargement in children aged 5-7 years can be age-related physiological changes, it will pass with time.

Main reasons:

• inflammatory processes;
• violation of the outflow of bile and blood;
• presence of worms in the body;
• violation of protein metabolism, metabolism;
• malignant tumors;
• primary lesion of the liver (congenital changes and disturbances in work).

A specific liver disease in children will be signaled by its increase along with symptoms such as:

• heaviness and pain under the right ribs;
• the appearance of a bitter taste in the mouth immediately after eating;
• changes in blood clotting;
• vomiting;
• fatigue;
• poor appetite;
• icterus of the skin.

Diseases of the liver in children

The most common is liver cancer. About 70% are malignant tumors. Very often the tumor is detected very late, when both lobes of the liver are already affected, or the tumor has gone beyond.

Cholecystitis is an inflammation of the gallbladder. Often occur in unfavorable families, with poor living conditions, as well as in children with allergies and suffering from neuroses.

If the liver is enlarged in an infant

Very often doctors take the yellowness of the skin and eye proteins in newborns for physiological jaundice. Breast children could get from their parents viral hepatitis, hereditary diseases associated with metabolism. All this provokes the appearance of liver diseases at a very early age. Beat the alarm if the child is more than two weeks old, and jaundice is only manifested or has not yet passed. The tummy is enlarged, the stool of the baby is slightly dyed. This is an ormascite (accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity) or liver failure.

Treatment of liver diseases in children

The method depends on the diagnosis - surgery - with biliary atresia (a rare developmental disorder) or liver cancer, in other cases - only medication and a special diet.

The diet involves the exclusion of fatty foods. You need to eat bread from bran, cottage cheese, oatmeal, yeast drinks, cod, vinaigrettes, sauerkraut, various salads.

Treatment can be carried out with the help of medicines and herbs. Collection "Golden" and "JCB" are very good for children, they are neutral, such infusions can be used for any diagnosis of liver disease.