Liver Disease in Children

Comprehensive Care for Your Child's Liver Disease

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Children with liver disease receive expert care at Duke from our pediatric liver specialists (hepatologists). We are the largest pediatric liver center in North Carolina and treat a wide range of children's liver disorders. When possible, our experts treat the underlying cause of liver disease to prevent further liver damage. We work to restore your child’s health so they can have a better quality of life. 

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Specialized Treatment for Childhood Liver Diseases

There are many different causes of liver disease in children. That's why our specialists’ first goal is to identify the cause of your child’s liver disease. Some of the liver diseases that affect children include:

  • Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a genetic disorder that damages the liver
  • Pediatric liver cancer
  • Autoimmune hepatitis, liver injury caused by antibodies attacking the liver
  • Biliary atresia, scarring and blockage of the bile ducts
  • Glycogen storage disease, a buildup of glycogen, or sugar, in the liver
  • Pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, in which fat builds up in the liver
  • Pediatric metabolic liver disease, genetic disorders that affect the body’s metabolism
  • Wilson’s disease, a genetic disorder that causes copper buildup in the liver and liver injury 
  • Viral hepatitis, infections like chronic hepatitis C that affect the liver

Our pediatric liver center draws on the expertise of many different specialists to treat your child’s liver disease. Depending on your child’s individual needs, their care team may include a pediatric gastroenterologist and hepatologist as well as nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and dietitians who have years of experience treating children with liver diseases. If necessary, we also draw upon the expertise of Duke specialists in genetics, immunology, metabolism, nephrology, cardiology, and infectious diseases.

Our Locations

Duke Health offers locations throughout the Triangle. Find one near you.

Tests and Treatments

Diagnosing your child’s liver disease is our first concern. Our work with leaders in pediatric imaging ensures we use the latest innovations to diagnose your child’s condition with the lowest doses of radiation possible -- or no radiation at all.

Liver Function Test

Measures the amount of proteins, enzymes, and other substances in the blood to determine liver health.

Liver Biopsy

A sample of liver tissue is removed and studied under a microscope to check the health of liver tissue and look for any abnormalities. If your child needs this procedure, they will be receive anesthesia when it takes place and will not remember it. 

Imaging Tests

Advanced diagnostic imaging -- such as contrast-enhanced ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) -- creates detailed pictures of the size, structure, and function of the liver and surrounding organs and vessels.

Lifestyle Changes

Carrying excess weight can lead to liver disease. Lifestyle changes that promote a healthy diet and exercise can stop and reverse some conditions, such as fatty deposits, in the liver. Our registered dietitians have expertise in liver-specific nutrition needs and can help you and your child identify the best foods to improve liver health. 

Surgery

Some liver conditions may require surgery to repair or remove damaged liver tissue, bile ducts, or blood vessels. Whenever possible, we perform minimally invasive procedures that require small incisions and help your child recover faster.

Liver Transplant

Liver transplant may be needed if damage to the liver is severe or life-threatening.

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Family and Support Services

When you bring your child to Duke Children’s, our team will answer all of your questions and be with you every step of the way. Our doctors and nurses will also connect your family to other hospital services for the extra care your child needs.

Child Life Specialists

Our child life specialists provide support, education, and guidance to help you and your child during treatment and hospitalization. Child life specialists explain procedures, offer encouragement, and use fun activities to take your child’s mind off treatment.

Care Coordination and Support

Our social workers can help you navigate the medical system and coordinate the variety of health services your child may need. We help you work with insurance providers, connect to community resources, and manage details related to your child’s care.

Ronald McDonald Family Room

If your child is staying at Duke Children’s, you can relax in the Ronald McDonald Family Room. You can grab a light meal, shower, do laundry, or use a computer with internet access.

Best Children's Hospital in NC

Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center is proud to be nationally ranked in 9 pediatric specialties.

Expertise in Pediatric Liver Diseases

Experience with Complex Conditions
We have multidisciplinary programs, like the Fontan Program, which cares for children after surgery for complex congenital heart defects. These children may have liver injury because of the changes that take place after their surgery.

Portal Hypertension Liver Disease Expertise
We offer North Carolina’s highest level of specialty care for children with portal hypertension. This serious condition occurs when blood pressure in the portal vein -- the vein that carries blood to the liver -- is elevated. 

The Highest-Quality Surgical Care
If your child needs liver or bile duct surgery, you can be confident in the range of our expertise. Duke Children’s is one of a small number of U.S. hospitals verified as a Level I children's surgery center by the American College of Surgeons. This Level I designation recognizes our commitment to providing the safest and highest-quality surgical care to our young patients.

Pediatric Liver Transplant Program
If a liver transplant is necessary, your child is in excellent hands. Our pediatric liver transplant program is the largest in the region, and our survival rates exceed the national average.

The Latest Research
Many of our doctors are actively involved in research, which means your child may be eligible to receive innovative therapies only available through participation in clinical trials.

Coordination and Support
Many pediatric liver diseases must be monitored on a regular basis. If it is safe for your child, we can work with their local doctor to coordinate lab tests and manage their treatment plan so you can stay as close to home as possible.

This page was medically reviewed on 06/15/2023 by