What complications are associated with neonatal hepatitis?

Infants with neonatal hepatitis caused by rubella or cytomegalovirus are at risk of developing an infection of the brain that could lead to mental retardation or cerebral palsy. Many of these infants will also have permanent liver disease due to the destruction of liver cells and the resulting scarring (cirrhosis).
The majority of infants with giant cell hepatitis will recover with little or no scarring to the liver. Their growth pattern will also normalize as bile flow improves. However, about 20 per cent of affected infants will go on to develop chronic (ongoing) liver disease and cirrhosis. In these children, the liver becomes very hard due to scarring, and the jaundice does not dissipate by six months of age. Infants who reach this point in the disease eventually require a liver transplant.
Infants with chronic neonatal hepatitis will not be able to digest fats and absorb fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) as a result of insufficient bile flow and the damage caused to liver cells. The lack of vitamin D will lead to poor bone and cartilage development (rickets). A deficiency in vitamin A may affect normal growth and vision. Vitamin K deficiency is associated with easy bruising and a tendency to bleed, whereas the lack of vitamin E results in poor coordination. Since bile is responsible for the elimination of many toxins in the body, chronic neonatal hepatitis can also lead to a buildup of toxins in the blood which in turn may result in itching, skin eruptions and irritability.