ABSTRACT
Pediatric liver disease is uncommon. A summary of the most common conditions presenting to specialist services in infancy with liver disease severe enough to justify nutritional support is shown in Table 19.1. Of these, the most common single condition causing cholestasis is biliary atresia occurring in 1 in 9,000-16,000 births in every population. All cases will require nutritional management and perhaps half will require intensive input including nasogastric tube (NGT) feeding. Other hepatological patients requiring nutritional care include those with parenteral nutrition
associated cholestasis (PNAC) and metabolic conditions. In total, perhaps 1 infant with liver disease requiring intensive feeding could be anticipated for every 5,00010,000 births. In the UK, this may represent 50-100 infants per year.
