Biliary atresia

Biliary atresia is a rare disease which affects newborns. It’s cause is unknown and so far all forms of treatment are still unsatisfactory. New approaches to this disease are urgently needed to improve diagnosis and therapy and therefore the well-being of patients with bilary atresia. This site will hopefully contribute to this process by encouraging interdisciplinary cooperation and updating of the results of clinical and basic research.
However, approximately 700 children are born every year with biliary atresia in Europe (the incidence is approx. 1:12.000 births). Unfortunately, biliary atresia is usually diagnosed and treated too late and the course of the disease is further complicated by symptoms of portal hypertension. The initial symptoms of jaundice and acholic stools are not specific and appear during the first two weeks after birth. Unlike the more common form of jaundice, children with biliary atresia do not spontaneously regain their normal skin color. Time plays a major role in the treatment of biliary atresia: The biliary tract between liver and intestines is completely blocked and bile retention then causes destruction of the liver itself. Only a timely operation can remove the blockage and allow the bile to flow again, thereby preserving liver function. The best time to operate is six weeks after birth, although not all of the affected children fully recover. In the majority of cases, the bile flow remains insufficient and the liver fibrosis worsens. A liver transplant then becomes – sooner or later – the only option in order for these children to survive.
This website is aimed at families coping with biliary atresia as well as pediatricians and midwives who take care of newborns. For pediatric gastroenterologists, pediatric and transplant surgeons this site should serve as a platform for information and interdisciplinary communication.