How are infants with neonatal jaundice managed?
• Non biliary atresia – Neonatal hepatitis group (Non BA-NH group):The first group, of patients commonly presenting in the first month of life, is that in which treatable infections (septicemia, urinary tract infections, malaria, toxoplasmosis and tuberculosis) or treatable metabolic disorders (galactosemia) are diagnosed. These are treated aggressively with appropriate therapy, which usually halts the progress of the liver disease. In this group, we also include treatable surgical causes such as choledochal cyst. Choledochal cysts require complete surgical excision and an entero- biliary anastomosis. • Suspected biliary atresia group (BA Group):The second and largest group, is of patients in whom none of the above conditions are diagnosed and the hepatobiliary scan does not show excretion into the gut upto 24 hrs. This group of patients irrespective of the results of the viral studies (such as the TORCH tests) should undergo an early exploratory laparotomy with a pre-operative cholang
