Acute liver failure in the newborn

Acute liver failure in infancy is a rare multi-system disorder in which severe impairment of liver function, with or without hepatic encephalopathy occurs in association with hepatic necrosis in a patient with no recognized underlying liver disease. Most cases are the result of either metabolic diseases or infectious causes. Although spontaneous recovery is unusual, and morbidity and mortality high, early diagnosis of some etiologies may allow for recovery from liver failure or survival post-liver transplantation.

Section editor:Vineta Fellman – Division of Pediatrics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden