This is an automatically translated article.
The article was professionally consulted with Master, Doctor Vu Quoc Anh - Pediatrician - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.Fatty liver is a very common disease today, occurring when the patient's liver accumulates too much fat. Many people believe that this disease only appears in adults and middle-aged people. However, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health, the number of cases of fatty liver in children is increasing.
1. What is fatty liver?
The liver is one of the most important organs in the human body, playing an essential role in the metabolism of substances, as well as storing and detoxifying the entire body.For healthy people, the amount of fat in the liver only accounts for 2-4% of its weight. And when this amount of fat has far exceeded the allowable index, which can account for about 5-10% of the weight of the liver, it is dangerously warned because this is a fatty liver condition.
This is one of the extremely common diseases in our country, with about 10-20% of the country's population being diagnosed with fatty liver, usually concentrated in middle-aged people from 40-55 years old. .
Gan nhiễm mỡ làm ảnh hưởng nghiêm trọng đến chức năng gan
2. Are children with fatty liver dangerous?
Fatty liver in children is a very dangerous disease that parents need to pay special attention to. This condition is becoming more and more common these days and can seriously affect a child's development.Because the liver is a part that assumes many important functions for a child's body at the same time, if the liver is damaged, it can affect the normal activities of other parts.
Fatty liver disease in children, if not detected and treated in time, can cause many unfortunate complications for the baby's development.
Fatty liver disease in children is often difficult to detect because the symptoms are not clear, so if parents find an abnormality in their child, take their child to a health check immediately.
3. The main causes of fatty liver in children
In general, fatty liver disease in children is similar to that in adults, when the weight of fat in the liver is more than allowed. And here are the main causes of fatty liver disease in children:3.1 Overweight and obesity
This is believed to be one of the main causes of fatty liver disease in children. Children who are in the growing phase will also experience strong growth of fat. Therefore, if parents do not create a reasonable lifestyle and diet for their children, it is easy to cause obesity and overweight. And that leads to extremely dangerous fatty liver disease.
Trẻ bị thừa cân, béo phì dễ mắc bệnh gan nhiễm mỡ
3.2 Due to chronic diseases
Children who are suffering from dangerous diseases such as: blood infections, osteomyelitis, tuberculosis or chronic diarrhea, diabetes, ... can lead to anorexia, sudden weight loss in babies. Along with that, the abnormal metabolism of substances also makes the energy requirements in the body not guaranteed. At this time, the fat in the body will quickly break down into fatty acids, move to the liver, but the liver cannot convert these acids into energy, so all will be converted into excess fat. Drug poisoning: When children are using some drugs to treat diseases such as: carbon tetrachloride, phosphorus, ... can also cause fat to accumulate in liver cells, causing fatty liver in children.3.3 Food
Foods high in sugar or preservatives are also one of the dangerous culprits that lead to fat accumulation in liver cells, which gradually causes fatty liver.
Đồ ăn nhanh chứa nhiều dầu mỡ dẫn đến tình trạng mỡ đọng lại trong tế bào gan
4. Typical signs of fatty liver disease in children
Fatty liver disease in children does not have obvious signs to recognize, so this disease is difficult to detect in time.If it is mild, children may have right rib pain, but they easily forget when they are playing, so they cannot promptly notify their parents about this situation.
If the disease progresses to a more severe level, there may be more obvious signs such as loss of appetite, fatigue, abdominal swelling, difficulty gaining weight, ...
In addition, the child may appear some more abnormalities often related to the gastrointestinal tract such as indigestion, flatulence, ...
For each age, the child will have a certain weight and height ratio. Therefore, if the baby's weight exceeds 20% of the norm, the risk of the baby having fatty blood is very high.
Chán ăn là triệu chứng thường gặp ở bệnh gan nhiễm mỡ
5. How to treat fatty liver disease in children
Mild fatty liver disease does not have any specific treatment, to overcome this condition, the patient needs to be changed in a scientific lifestyle with typical measures such as:Regular exercise to burn excess fat stagnation inside the body. For children with fatty liver caused by obesity, parents need to pay special attention to their children's diet. Should limit foods processed from viscera, red meat, animal skin, egg yolk, ... Instead, parents can refer to the diet from a nutritionist, increase fish, foods that have the ability to reduce blood fat such as bean sprouts, garlic, tomatoes, ... Well control blood sugar as well as cholesterol intake. Add green vegetables and fruits for children every day. Because in green vegetables, there will be many good vitamins and minerals needed to enhance the function of the liver.
Ăn nhiều rau xanh giúp cải thiện các triệu chứng của bệnh gan nhiễm mỡ
Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital is providing a service package of General Health Examination for Children. The baby will be comprehensively examined from eyes, teeth, blood pressure, weight to necessary tests, combined with diagnostic imaging, nutritional assessment. The examination package helps you check your baby's overall health, screen for symptoms for early detection and treatment if needed.
Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.
