Feeling distraught because your child may have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)? Well you should be—but keep in mind there is still time for hope.
I read an easily digestible article about this very subject written by a doctor. He explains the condition and how it can progress into a worse condition called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
The article is informative, inspirational, and also very helpful, because, while no medication exists for the conditions, it does explore the benefits of a particular diet that’s easy to follow.
If your child has been diagnosed with NASH, you have good reason to feel unhinged, freaked out, and worried about the health and welfare of your child. NASH is the second stage beyond nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, the stage when your child’s liver function is lessening.
It means that there is a strong likelihood your child has liver damage and scarring. Also, your child potentially could develop cirrhosis of the liver along with liver fibrosis, because there are too many fatty deposits in your child’s liver.
You are not alone.
Nearly 30 million adult Americans suffer from NAFLD, which is sadly now an epidemic. It’s sad because it CAN be prevented in children, among whom it affects approximately one in 10 kids nationwide.
Upon consuming a high fat diet, along with high amounts of sugar, deposits of fat form and spread throughout the liver in children as well as adults. The fat spreads throughout the liver in a cascade effect that leads to inflammation and irritation—conditions that destroy liver cells and cause scarring.
Without medical intervention, fatty liver disease progresses into NASH which will ultimately progress into liver failure and cirrhosis. Although cirrhosis is rare in children, it can occur.
Populations at risk:
- Hispanics tend to have the highest incident rates—more than African Americans and European Americans.
- Boys have an average risk of twice as more likely to develop NASH.
- Children who have fatty liver disease are well on their way to developing NASH. The rate becomes much higher by the time they reach adulthood—if they survive that long without medical intervention.
The MOST IMPORTANT Thing YOU Should Know Is…
With medical intervention and discipline to follow a healthy low-fat and low-sugar diet, which includes weight loss, it is highly likely that you can save your child. In fact, it’s highly likely that your child will not go on to developing NASH.
Please. Talk to your doctor to figure out a diet and exercise plan to treat your child, your children. The great news is that NAFLD can be reversed. You have the power to positively impact the future health of your child.
