When a child is born, he moves from the womb to the outside world, which is a difficult transition for him, but sometimes he also faces congenital conditions or deformations that affect them throughout their lives. One of them is biliary atresia, which is an obstruction of the bile ducts that usually results from congenital stenosis or absence of the duct. On average, there is one case of biliary atresia in every 15,000 live births. Biliary atresia occurs slightly more often in women than men and affects children of all races. In the United States, approximately 300 new cases in infants are diagnosed each year. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get the original essay The main sign, jaundice, does not develop until 2 to 6 weeks, although biliary atresia is considered a congenital disorder. To distinguish this type of jaundice from other types, labs will show increased direct bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase levels. Later, continued obstruction and back pressure will lead to liver cell damage manifested by abnormal AST levels. Soon after, the child will exhibit low levels of absorption of fats and fat-soluble substances due to the lack of bile salts reaching the intestine, causing diarrhea and weight loss. The child's stools will appear light in color due to the lack of bile pigments and the urine will be dark due to the buildup of bilirubin. If biliary atresia is detected in the early stages, a procedure called Kasai will be performed to redirect the bile ducts back to the intestine. If the operation is successful, the child's stools will become darker and the jaundice will slowly disappear. Due to the location of the bile ducts, surgery may not be possible, so after prolonged obstruction, the child will need a liver transplant, otherwise death from liver failure will occur. If undetected, most children die before the age of two and even with successful surgery, most children have liver problems throughout their lives. The first nursing diagnosis presented in the assignment is the risk of unbalanced nutrition, lower than the body's needs, linked to the inability to digest fats. It will be recommended to place the child on a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet. Water-soluble forms of fat-soluble vitamins are administered to improve their levels, particularly vitamin K which is necessary for proper clotting. Most children will continue on a similar diet or total parenteral nutrition until a liver transplant can take place for them. The second nursing diagnosis is the risk of bleeding due to lack of absorption of vitamin K. The child's parents will need to adhere to regiments of anticoagulant medications and laboratory work. Also monitor for signs and symptoms of bleeding to report them immediately to the provider. Avoid giving NSAIDs to children, as this increases the risk of bleeding. The third nursing diagnosis is impaired comfort due to illness-related symptoms. The child will have difficulty feeling comfortable due to inflammation of the skin accompanied by extreme itching, caused by the accumulation of bile salts in the body. The child will also have difficulty breathing due to increased abdominal distension, which will create extreme discomfort. It is important to teach parents what.