What Are The Symptoms Of Biliary Atresia?

Pale Stool

Bile helps give stool its normal brownish color, and a pale stool is generally an indication that little to no bile can reach the intestine. Pale stools might look like putty or clay, and they could sometimes be white. Patients with this symptom typically also present with jaundice. Parents should make a note of any pale, clay-colored, or white stools their infant has, and the doctor should be informed urgently, as this symptom needs prompt investigation. Doctors will ask the parent questions about how long their child has been experiencing pale stools and about any color changes in the stool that may have occurred. They will want to know when this symptom began and whether it occurs regularly or just occasionally. Since pale stool is suggestive of liver and bile duct problems, doctors will perform blood tests and imaging studies to try to determine the underlying cause. Blood tests will be carried out to measure bilirubin and the levels of specific liver enzymes such as AST, ALT, and GGT. Patients will also have an abdominal ultrasound, and a DISIDA or HIDA scan will be done to check whether bile can flow from the liver into the gallbladder and intestines. Pale stools often resolve once bilirubin levels are normalized.

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