(9) Prognosis of pediatric chronic hepatitis

The prognosis of pediatric virus hepatitis in general is better than adults, chiefly because the blood circulating in the liver of children is more than adults and also the genesis of liver cells is greater in children.  But children with chronic active hepatitis are prone to develop cirrhosis of liver and carriers of type B hepatitis virus following infection by mother-infant communication are difficult to change into negative, so that a persisting positive condition is formed.

        In pediatric hepatitis, because there is lowering of immune ability and digestive tract function, the patient is very susceptible to respiratory tract infection, such as pharyngitis, trachitis, tonsilitis and intestinal tract infection.  In the convalescent stage, some patients may have the complications of fatty liver and secondary obesity.  Some may be complicated by aplastic anemia, hemolysis and nephritis.

        If systemic therapy is not obtained during childhood, then, in the after years of life, the patient would suffer from diseases of different systems under the control of hepatitis virus.  Therefore, if in childhood, symptoms related to chronic hepatitis are not cured for a long time, one should remember to investigate the possibility of chronic hepatitis and give the patient TCM therapy to achieve clinical cure and stop the progression of the disease.

translated by Professor ZHENG Hua En in July 2005