PEDIATRICS Vol. 118 No. 4 October 2006, pp. 1388-1393 (doi:10.1542/peds.2006-1212)
ARTICLE |
Prevalence of Fatty Liver in Children and Adolescents
a Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics
b Department of Family and Preventive Medicine
d Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California
c Office of the Medical Examiner, County of San Diego, San Diego, California
OBJECTIVE. Fatty liver disease is diagnosed increasingly in children, but the prevalence remains unknown. We sought to determine the prevalence of pediatric fatty liver as diagnosed by histology in a population-based sample.
METHODS. We conducted a retrospective review of 742 children between the ages of 2 and 19 years who had an autopsy performed by a county medical examiner from 1993 to 2003. Fatty liver was defined as
5% of hepatocytes containing macrovesicular fat.
RESULTS. Fatty liver was present in 13% of subjects. For children and adolescents age 2 to 19 years, the prevalence of fatty liver adjusted for age, gender, race, and ethnicity is estimated to be 9.6%. Fatty liver prevalence increases with age, ranging from 0.7% for ages 2 to 4 up to 17.3% for ages 15 to 19 years. Fatty liver prevalence differs significantly by race and ethnicity (Asian: 10.2%; black: 1.5%; Hispanic: 11.8%; white: 8.6%). The highest rate of fatty liver was seen in obese children (38%).
CONCLUSIONS. Fatty liver is the most common liver abnormality in children age 2 to 19 years. The presence of macrovesicular hepatic steatosis in
1 of every 10 children has important ramifications for the long-term health of children and young adults. The influence of the risk factors identified should be taken into consideration in the development of protocols designed to screen at-risk children and adolescents.
Key Words: obesity nonalcoholic fatty liver disease steatohepatitis Hispanic American metabolic syndrome
Abbreviations: SCALEStudy of Child and Adolescent Liver Epidemiology
Accepted May 22, 2006.
![]()
CiteULike
Connotea
Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Reddit
Technorati
Twitter What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
V. Nobili and C. Day Childhood NAFLD: a ticking time-bomb? Gut, November 1, 2009; 58(11): 1442 - 1442. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G.-J. van der Heijden, G. Toffolo, E. Manesso, P. J. J. Sauer, and A. L. Sunehag Aerobic Exercise Increases Peripheral and Hepatic Insulin Sensitivity in Sedentary Adolescents J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., November 1, 2009; 94(11): 4292 - 4299. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A E Feldstein, P Charatcharoenwitthaya, S Treeprasertsuk, J T Benson, F B Enders, and P Angulo The natural history of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in children: a follow-up study for up to 20 years Gut, November 1, 2009; 58(11): 1538 - 1544. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
N. Pineda, P. Sharma, Q. Xu, X. Hu, M. Vos, and D. R. Martin Measurement of Hepatic Lipid: High-Speed T2-Corrected Multiecho Acquisition at 1H MR Spectroscopy--A Rapid and Accurate Technique Radiology, August 1, 2009; 252(2): 568 - 576. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
T Reinehr, C Schmidt, A M Toschke, and W Andler Lifestyle intervention in obese children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: 2-year follow-up study Arch. Dis. Child., June 1, 2009; 94(6): 437 - 442. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. Steinberger, S. R. Daniels, R. H. Eckel, L. Hayman, R. H. Lustig, B. McCrindle, and M. L. Mietus-Snyder Progress and Challenges in Metabolic Syndrome in Children and Adolescents: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association Atherosclerosis, Hypertension, and Obesity in the Young Committee of the Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young; Council on Cardiovascular Nursing; and Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism Circulation, February 3, 2009; 119(4): 628 - 647. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
B. Guiu, J.-M. Petit, R. Loffroy, D. Ben Salem, S. Aho, D. Masson, P. Hillon, D. Krause, and J.-P. Cercueil Quantification of Liver Fat Content: Comparison of Triple-Echo Chemical Shift Gradient-Echo Imaging and in Vivo Proton MR Spectroscopy Radiology, January 1, 2009; 250(1): 95 - 102. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
N. Stefan, K. Kantartzis, and H.-U. Haring Causes and Metabolic Consequences of Fatty Liver Endocr. Rev., December 1, 2008; 29(7): 939 - 960. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. Manco, G. Bottazzo, R. DeVito, M. Marcellini, G. Mingrone, and V. Nobili Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Children J. Am. Coll. Nutr., December 1, 2008; 27(6): 667 - 676. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G. P. August, S. Caprio, I. Fennoy, M. Freemark, F. R. Kaufman, R. H. Lustig, J. H. Silverstein, P. W. Speiser, D. M. Styne, and V. M. Montori Prevention and Treatment of Pediatric Obesity: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline Based on Expert Opinion J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., December 1, 2008; 93(12): 4576 - 4599. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. Caprio, S. R. Daniels, A. Drewnowski, F. R. Kaufman, L. A. Palinkas, A. L. Rosenbloom, and J. B. Schwimmer Influence of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture on Childhood Obesity: Implications for Prevention and Treatment: A consensus statement of Shaping America's Health and the Obesity Society Diabetes Care, November 1, 2008; 31(11): 2211 - 2221. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. Deivanayagam, B S. Mohammed, B. E Vitola, G. H Naguib, T. H Keshen, E. P Kirk, and S. Klein Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with hepatic and skeletal muscle insulin resistance in overweight adolescents Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, August 1, 2008; 88(2): 257 - 262. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. Shibli, L. Rubin, H. Akons, and R. Shaoul Morbidity of Overweight (>=85th Percentile) in the First 2 Years of Life Pediatrics, August 1, 2008; 122(2): 267 - 272. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. B. Schwimmer, P. E. Pardee, J. E. Lavine, A. K. Blumkin, and S. Cook Cardiovascular Risk Factors and the Metabolic Syndrome in Pediatric Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Circulation, July 15, 2008; 118(3): 277 - 283. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C. Maffeis, R. Manfredi, M. Trombetta, S. Sordelli, M. Storti, T. Benuzzi, and R. C. Bonadonna Insulin Sensitivity Is Correlated with Subcutaneous but Not Visceral Body Fat in Overweight and Obese Prepubertal Children J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., June 1, 2008; 93(6): 2122 - 2128. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. Kotronen and H. Yki-Jarvinen Fatty Liver: A Novel Component of the Metabolic Syndrome Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, January 1, 2008; 28(1): 27 - 38. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. M.G. Cali, T. L. Zern, S. E. Taksali, A. M. de Oliveira, S. Dufour, J. D. Otvos, and S. Caprio Intrahepatic Fat Accumulation and Alterations in Lipoprotein Composition in Obese Adolescents: A perfect proatherogenic state Diabetes Care, December 1, 2007; 30(12): 3093 - 3098. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
E. Heubeck Fatty Liver Disease Escalates in Children DOC News, September 1, 2007; 4(9): 9 - 9. [Full Text] |
||||
![]() |
Z. T. Bloomgarden Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Insulin Resistance in Youth Diabetes Care, June 1, 2007; 30(6): 1663 - 1669. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
U. Baumann and R. Brown Review: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in childhood The British Journal of Diabetes & Vascular Disease, November 1, 2006; 6(6): 264 - 268. [Abstract] [PDF] |
||||

















