A Lanarkshire mum whose daughter’s urine turned brown before doctors discovered she had hepatitis feared she would need a liver transplant.
Little Madison, of Wishaw, was diagnosed with the virus on Thursday, May 19.
Her mum Chloe Benham had rushed her to her GP at Clyde View Medical Practice after her dad noticed her urine was dark brown.
Following an abnormal urine sample and bloods to check her liver function, four-year-old Madison was sent to nearby Wishaw General where doctors confirmed the diagnosis.
Chloe, 24, told our sister paper, the Daily Record : “It came as a shock.
"We knew absolutely nothing about hepatitis.
“It was so unexpected, so I felt really stressed and confused as to how she had contracted it.
“We had taken her to the GP because her dad noticed her urine was brown and we knew something must have been wrong.
“She had been sick on and off for the last few weeks, but apart from that she was her usual happy self.”
Madison’s liver enzyme levels were significantly elevated and doctors are still attempting to get them to return to a normal level.
The youngster is now suffering from jaundice and is having to have daily blood tests to monitor her liver’s function.
Mum Chloe said she doesn’t know how long Madison will remain in hospital as medics continue to observe her condition and any long term damage.
She added: “Doctors said that she is over the worst but I can’t help but worry.
“I now know if hepatitis goes undetected it can cause liver failure, so we were worried she would need a transplant.
“It’s absolutely terrifying being in a situation like this, especially with no treatment for it.
“The doctor still doesn’t know how this has happened.
“I’m just so glad we got her bloods checked when we did and she’s now in the right place getting the help she needs.”
Last month, The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced the launch of an investigation into a hepatitis outbreak in children under 10 across the UK.
On May 20, Public Health Scotland (PHS) confirmed a total of 26 cases of hepatitis had been reported, taking the total number of UK cases to 197.
The majority of the cases worldwide have been reported in the UK and the World Health Organization (WHO) said there were now 348 probable cases globally.
PHS said the most common hepatitis symptoms of the children affected are jaundice and vomiting.
If a child shows signs of jaundice, where there is a yellow tinge in the whites of the eyes or on the skin, then parents should contact their GP or other Health Care professional.
Other symptoms can include dark urine, pale grey coloured poo, itchy skin, muscle and joint pains, tiredness, feeling sick, a high temperature, loss of appetite and stomach pain.
The most probable cause of the outbreak is a strain of adenovirus called F41, reports the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), as the usual viruses that cause infectious hepatitis (hepatitis A to E) have not been detected.
Chloe added: “I want to make parents aware of the symptoms of hepatitis, so they can get their kids checked before it progresses.”
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