Prolonged jaundice, sign of liver cancer – Paediatrician

Tue, Feb 26, 2019 | By publisher


Health

Prof. Austine Omoigherale, the National President, Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN), has said that prolonged jaundice in children after first month of life can be traced to cancer or chronic infections of liver or hepatitis.
Omoigherale told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja that: “Prolonged jaundice after the neonatal age could signify hepatoma (Cancer of the liver) or hepatitis or possibly other chronic infections of the liver or anomalies like galactosaemia.
“Galactosaemia is a rare genetic disorder present from birth and can be life-threatening in the newborn period.”
NAN reports that jaundice is a yellow tint to the skin or eyes caused by excess of bilirubin, a substance created when red blood cells break down.
He noted that often times, a lot of parents disregard this condition in children describing it as a normal condition that will disappear or go with time thereby worsening the health condition of such children.
Omoigberale explained further that: “When children are born in the first few days, some of them have jaundice.
“There is physiologic jaundice in which after three or four days those yellowness will disappear, but if after one, two or three months, it is still noticed on the child, it is an indication that something is wrong with the liver.
“So, you need to do some liver function test to detect why the yellowness because is beyond the ordinary.”
The president of PAN, who frowned at the poor health seeking behaviour of the populace, advised parents to ensure early presentation of such cases to the appropriate health facilities for testing and screening.
According to him, good follow-up of such children is very important so that if there is any clear case discovery, the concern parents should take appropriate action before such condition gets out of hand.
Omoigberale, who described the rate of cancer in children in the past as very minimal, said that presently it contribute up to 20 and 30 per cent of diseases in children in the country.
He, however, harped on good health seeking behaviour by patients and care givers in order to prevent such anomalies.
He regretted that in civilised climes when children are born they are screened for all kind of diseases, but in Nigeria the reverse is the case.
Omoigberale urged the Federal Government to take a cue from neonatal screening usually adopted by developed countries for early detection of these diseases and to ensure reduction in the associated morbidity and mortality rate. (NAN)

 

– Feb. 26, 2019 @ 12:09 GMT |

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