3 years litlle boy got B hepatitis

[alexander]

Hello,

My name is Alex

My 3 years boy got b hepatits ,i do not know where from.

I am very worried,please can everyone to help me with some advices or any other support?

I live in London.

Regards.

[Bolly]

Hi Alex

I'm assuming your little boy had his blood tested for Hep B for a reason? Has the doctor who ran the test given you any advice about what to do next.

A common route of transmission of Hep B is mother to baby, do you know if you are Hep B positive also? I'm Hep B but knew before my son was born, so precautions were taken to protect him at birth.

I think a hepatologist would probably suggest you wait for at least 6 months to see if he clears it naturally, unless you are certain he has had it since birth, before considering any treatment. But I'm not sure. Most medics wont put anyone on treatment unless the viral load is at a certain level - do you know his viral load, or has he just had the antibody blood test.

It would be wise to educate anybody you live with as to what to do about blood spills. You could make up a little pack of wipes, antibacterial gel, gloves, nappy sacs etc and have that for mopping up any spills or dealing with cuts/scrapes. Also have a separate toothbrush for him and dont allow anyone else to use it - make it a 'special' or 'magic' toothbrush just for him.

If he is at nursery or playgroup you should perhaps tell them that he has a blood condition where they need to be extra careful cleaning up any spills/cuts/scrapes - the staff should be trained to do this anyway, but the other children wont understand the need for caution. No need to say what the condition is, he has a right to privacy.

I dont know much about treatment of children with Hep B, though I do know that very young children can go on treatment for Hep C. However Hep C has a limited treatment course whereas once you start on Hep B treatment you have to continue for life.

[picklemum]

Hi Alex,

You could also try getting support from the Child Liver Disease Foundation - they also have a healthunlocked forum.

Good luck to you and your son