WHAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FATTY LIVER IN CHILDREN

In this fortnightly column, paediatrician Dr Anupam Sibal will help young parents resolve dilemmas

- DR ANUPAM SIBAL

My 8-year-old has been detected with fatty liver. I am worried about my 6-year-old getting it too. What should I do? Is there any medicine to treat this condition?

Fatty liver disease in children - referred to as Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and now renamed as MASLD (Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease). MASLD is one of the most common chronic liver conditions in children now. This condition develops when extra fat builds up in the liver. It ranges from simple fat deposits to a more severe form where the liver becomes inflamed and damaged. If not identified early, it can lead to progressive damage.

A 2024 global review estimated that 13% of all children and nearly 47% of obese children may have MASLD (1). In India, pooled analysis from eight studies found that 12.4% of non-obese children had fatty liver disease, and the rates were as high as 60% among obese children (2).