title: Health-Related Quality of Life in Children with Biliary Atresia Living with Native Livers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to quantify and investigate factors affecting the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children with biliary atresia (BA) living with their native livers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study on the HRQoL using the PedsQL4.0 generic core scales in children with BA aged between 2 to 18 years followed up at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) in Malaysia was conducted. Two groups, consisting of healthy children and children with chronic liver disease (CLD) caused by other aetiologies, were recruited as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children with BA living with their native livers (n = 36; median (range) age: 7.4 (2 to 18) years; overall HRQoL score: 85.6) have a comparable HRQoL score with healthy children (n = 81; median age: 7.0 years; overall HQRoL score: 87.4; P = 0.504) as well as children with CLD (n = 44; median age: 4.3 years; overall score: 87.1; P = 0.563). The HRQoL of children with BA was not adversely affected by having 1 or more hospitalisations in the preceding 12 months, the presence of portal hypertension, older age at corrective surgery (>60 days), a lower level of serum albumin (≤34 g/L) or a higher blood international normalised ratio (INR) (≥1.2). Children who had liver transplantation for BA did not have a significantly better HRQoL as compared to those who had survived with their native livers (85.4 vs 85.7, P = 0.960).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HRQoL in children with BA living with their native livers is comparable to healthy children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Way Seah
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sik Yong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Ong
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001656:Biliary Atresia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012709:Serum Albumin
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin