title: Neonatal liver failure: aetiologies and management--state of the art.
abstract: Acute liver failure in neonates is rare, but carries a high mortality. Neonatal liver failure can be defined as "failure of the synthetic function of liver within 4 weeks of birth". Encephalopathy is not essential for the diagnosis. Acute liver failure in neonates differs from children with regard to aetiology and outcome. Common causes of neonatal liver failure are neonatal hemochromatosis, haematological malignancies, viral infections and liver-based metabolic defects. Early diagnosis and referral to a paediatric liver centre is recommended as liver transplantation is the only definitive treatment when supportive or a disease-specific treatment fails.
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Liver, GI & Nutrition Centre, King's College Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Naresh P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Shanmugam
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bansal
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Greenough
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dhawan
mesh_terms: D006432:Hemochromatosis / Q000150:complications; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D051359:Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic / Q000150:complications; D008661:Metabolism, Inborn Errors / Q000150:complications