A NEWPORT mum has backed a national campaign calling for greater awareness of the signs of liver disease in babies, after her daughter had to have a liver transplant at just 10 months old.
When Alicia Bennett's daughter Luna was born two years ago, doctors soon found her liver wasn't functioning properly.
Although Ms Bennett, 32 - who has Graves Disease, a condition causing an overactive thyroid - and Luna were allowed to go home after 11 days, when the baby was seven weeks old a health visitor expressed concerns about the colour of her poo, and arranged for them to go to the Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran.
Three days later they were taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital, which has a specialist liver unit, where it was confirmed that Luna has biliary atresia, a rare liver disease, and would need specialist surgery, known as a Kasai procedure.
"The Kasai, which aims to enable bile flow from the liver, can only be done until a child is eight weeks old," said Ms Bennett, who also has a five-year-old son, Hendrix. "Luna was seven weeks old so time was of the essence and she underwent surgery just before her first Christmas."
Although Ms Bennett was told it would be six months before they knew if the procedure had been a success, Luna's health deteriorated, and doctors decided she would need a liver transplant.
"We were fortunate," she said. "A suitable liver was found within weeks and her transplant went ahead in September 2021 when she was ten and half months old.
"I will be forever grateful to her donor family."
It was when she was first at Birmingham Children's Hospital that Ms Bennett found out about the Children's Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF).
"It was great to know I wasn't alone in this," she said.
And now she is backing the charity's Yellow Alert campaign, which is promoting awareness of the signs and symptoms of liver disease in children for GPs and other health workers.
Symptoms of liver disease in children include loss of appetite, belly or abdominal pain, fatigue, and vomiting or nausea. As these symptoms can be similar to other issues, doctors may perform other tests to detect it.
CLDF chief executive Rebecca Cooper said: "Unfortunately because liver disease in children is rare, many GPs and health visitors will only see one or two cases in their career, and the crucial symptoms of pale poo and prolonged jaundice can be missed.
"Our Yellow Alert campaign informs health professionals and new parents of the signs they need to be aware of and the steps they should take. Early diagnosis is key when treating childhood liver disease and our aim is that all health professionals in Wales should have the tools to facilitate that.”
Ms Bennett added: "Luna is such a resilient little girl and I’m so proud to be her mother.
Mum Alicia Bennett, with children Hendrix and Luna
“However difficult the past two years have been, things could have been even worse had we not received the diagnosis when we did.
“It’s why I’m so in favour of CLDF’s campaign to inform every GP surgery in the country of the signs of liver disease in babies.
“Jaundice is very common and most new parents will have no idea that baby poo colour is so important - I’d hate to think that any case could be missed.
“Time is of the essence when treating these babies, and parents really need information and emotional support. Knowledge is power and life-changing and Luna is living proof of that.”
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