Learn about the liver and liver transplants
Liver problems in children
Children usually need a liver transplant because of a medical condition they were born with, rather than conditions they get as they grow up.
The most common reasons children need a liver transplant include:
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Blocked bile ducts (biliary atresia): This is the most common reason children need a transplant. The liver makes a fluid called bile to help digest food. In some babies, the tiny tubes that carry this fluid away are blocked or missing. The trapped fluid builds up and damages the liver.
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Genetic conditions: Some children inherit diseases from their parents that stop the liver from processing nutrients or removing toxins correctly. Over time, these toxins build up and damage the liver.
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Sudden liver failure: Sometimes, a healthy child’s liver suddenly stops working. This can happen very quickly due to a severe virus or a reaction to a medicine.
How transplants help children
A liver transplant is a life-saving surgery. Because the liver can grow back, a child does not always have to wait for a whole liver. They can get just a small piece of a liver from a healthy adult donor, like a parent. Over a few months, the donated piece of liver will grow to a normal size.
Living liver donation helps children because it:
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Helps kids get better faster: Children on the waitlist for a deceased donor can become dangerously sick while waiting. A living donor allows the family to schedule a transplant surgery quickly, before the child gets any sicker.
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Helps kids’ growth and energy: A failing liver stops a child from growing and makes them feel constantly exhausted. A new liver helps them digest food properly so they can gain weight, grow taller, and get their energy back.
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Helps kids live longer: Liver pieces from living donors are usually very healthy because they come from carefully screened adults. This gives the child the best chance at a long, active life.