Mum issues hepatitis warning after her daughter is hospitalised

Her mum rushed her to her GP.

A mum has recently shared a warning after her young daughter contracted hepatitis. She has urged others to go to the doctor after noticing an obvious symptom. The breakout of the illness has caused concern in Ireland after it led to the death of one child and another needing a liver transplant. There are now eight probable cases of children with hepatitis of unknown cause across the country and a small number are under investigation. Chloe Benham from Scotland has told of her daughter's urine turning brown before she was diagnosed with hepatitis and it was feared she would need a transplant. After getting her diagnosis on May 19, Chloe is hoping that by speaking out she can make other parents aware of the symptoms. Her daughter Madison was rushed to her GP when her dad noticed her urine was dark brown. Following the abnormal urine sample and bloods to check her liver, her four-year-old daughter was sent to hospital where her diagnosis was confirmed. "It was so unexpected, so I felt really stressed and confused as to how she had contracted it," Chloe told the Daily Record. "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 currently still trying to get them back to a normal level. Chloe says she still doesn't know how long she'll be in hospital for but doctors have said that the worst is over. The HSE says the cause of acute hepatitis in these children has not yet been found and they are looking into all possibilities. One particular area being investigated is the link between this and an increase in infections caused by adenovirus, a common cause of childhood illness. Others include infections such as Covid-19 or something in the environment. Investigations are ongoing to determine if current or prior Covid-19 infection may cause an increase in risk of this disease in children. None of the children tested in Ireland showed evidence of a Covid-19 infection at that time, with a majority of the cases not having received the Covid vaccine.