Hepatitis A in Children

Three types of hepatitis may be found in children: A, B and C. Hepatitis A -- also called HAV -- is the the most common and can spread rapidly through communities in which children congregate in large numbers -- schools, churches, playgrounds. All forms of hepatitis affect the liver and in rare cases can be caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, which also causes mononucleosis, an illness that is common in adolescents and young adults.

• Hepatitis A is most commonly found in children

How It Spreas

• Hepatitis A is spread through feces and poor hygiene. Since young children in particular often have poor personal hygiene (diapers, unconscious handling of feces and hand-to-mouth touching,) they arebe particularly prone to spreading the illness without knowing it. Parents and caregivers have to be diligent about keeping children's hands clean.

Symptoms

• Children rarely show symptoms, according to the Directors of Public Health Education Promotion . Adults with Hepatitis A may experience fever, tiredness and fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, dark urine and yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice.) In fact, most adults have had Hepatitis A at some point in their childhood but because they showed little in the way of symptoms, they do not realize it.

Causes

• The Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is found in stool or feces. Poor hygiene and lack of hand washing after changing diapers and going to bathroom can contribute to the spread of the illness through a family and community. If hands are not washed, then small amounts of fecal material find their way into food and into the body through the mouth.

Risk Factors

• Since Hepatitis A is spread through poor hygiene and contact with fecal materials, there are a wide variety of risk factors for the illness. According to the Directors of Public Health Education Promotion, anyone who is in close personal contact with someone who is infected with HAV is at risk for getting the illness. Additional risk factors include children who spend time in day care or schools, particularly if there is an infected child present in the school population.

Treatment

• According to the Mayo Clinic, there is no specific treatment for Hepatitis A in children. Since Hepatitis A passes through the system fairly quickly, most treatment focuses on addressing and easing the symptoms of the illness. Parents can help children by giving them small snacks to address the nausea that they may feel. Additionally, parents should expect that their child will need to miss several days and possibly one or two weeks from school due to the excessive fatigue that is part of the illness.