Biliary AtresiaSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Biliary Atresia
Biliary atresia is a blockage in the tubes (bile ducts) that carry a liquid called bile from the liver to the gallbladder.
Jaundice newborns - biliary atresia; Newborn jaundice - biliary atresia; Extrahepatic ductopenia; Progressive obliterative cholangiopathy
Biliary atresia occurs when the bile ducts inside or outside the liver are abnormally narrow, blocked, or absent. The bile ducts carry a digestive fluid from liver to small bowel to break down fats and filter out waste from the body.
The cause of the disease is not clear. It may be due to:
- Viral infection after birth
- Exposure to toxic substances
- Multiple genetic factors
- Perinatal injury
- Some medicines such as carbamazepine
It more commonly affects people of East Asian and African-American descent.
The bile ducts help remove waste from the liver and carry salts that help the small intestine break down (digest) fat.
In babies with biliary atresia, bile flow from the liver to the gallbladder is blocked. This can lead to liver damage and cirrhosis of the liver, which can be deadly.
Symptoms usually start to occur between 2 to 8 weeks of age. Jaundice (a yellow color to the skin and mucus membranes) develops slowly 2 to 3 weeks after birth. The infant may gain weight normally for the first month. After that point, the baby will lose weight and become irritable, and will have worsening jaundice.
Other symptoms may include:
- Dark urine
- Swollen belly
- Foul-smelling and floating stools
- Pale or clay-colored stools
- Slow growth
An operation called the Kasai procedure is done to connect the liver to the small intestine. The abnormal ducts are bypassed. The surgery is more successful if done before the baby is 8 weeks old.
Liver transplant may still be needed before 20 years of age in most of the cases.
Pediatric Gastroenterology - Pch
Stephen Guthery is a Pediatrics provider practicing medicine in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dr. Guthery is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Biliary Atresia. He is also highly rated in 2 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Biliary Atresia, Viral Gastroenteritis, Esophagitis, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD), and Gastrostomy. Dr. Guthery is board certified in American Board Of Pediatrics. Dr. Guthery is currently accepting new patients.
Penn Gastroenterology Perelman
Rebecca Wells is a primary care provider, practicing in Gastroenterologist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Wells is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Biliary Atresia. She is also highly rated in 2 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Biliary Atresia, Cirrhosis, Cholestasis, Familial Benign Copper Deficiency, and Liver Transplant. Dr. Wells is currently accepting new patients.
Taubman Center
John C. Magee, M.D., is the Jeremiah & Claire Turcotte Professor of Transplant Surgery. Dr. Magee received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College. He completed his General Surgery residency at the University of Michigan in 1996. During his residency, Dr. Magee spent three years as a research fellow in the Department of Surgery at Duke University Medical Center where he focused on endothelial cell biology in inflammation and xenotransplantation. He also completed the Post-Doctoral Research Training Program at the University of Michigan. Following general surgery training, he completed a two-year multi-organ transplant surgery fellowship at the University of Michigan. He joined the faculty in 1998.Dr. Magee's clinical interests include the care of adults and children requiring kidney, pancreas and liver transplantation, as well as management of immunosuppressive therapy and its complications. Dr. Magee is currently the head, section of transplantation and director of the pediatric liver and kidney transplant program. Dr. Magee is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Biliary Atresia. He is also highly rated in 9 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Biliary Atresia, Alagille Syndrome, Cholestasis, Liver Transplant, and Kidney Transplant. Dr. Magee is board certified in Surgery.
Early surgery will improve the survival of more than one third of babies with this condition. The long-term benefit of a liver transplant is not yet known, but it is expected to improve survival.
Complications may include:
- Infection
- Irreversible cirrhosis
- Liver failure
- Surgical complications, including failure of the Kasai procedure
Contact your child's provider if your child appears jaundiced, or if other symptoms of biliary atresia develop.
Summary: Little is known about the factors that cause biliary atresia nor the factors that influence disease progression. The purpose of this study is to collect the pertinent clinical information, genetic material and body fluid samples to enable investigators to address the following aims: To identify the gene or genes implicated in the etiology of BA; To characterize the natural history of the older, no...
Summary: Biliary atresia, idiopathic neonatal hepatitis, and specific genetic cholestatic conditions are the most common causes of jaundice and hyperbilirubinemia that continue beyond the newborn period. The long term goal of the Childhood Liver Disease Research Network (ChiLDReN) is to establish a database of clinical information and plasma, serum, and tissue samples from cholestatic children to facilitat...
Published Date: January 01, 2026
Published By: Charles I. Schwartz, MD, FAAP, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Regional Medical Director of Penn Medicine Primary and Specialty Care, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, General Pediatrician at PennCare for Kids, Phoenixville, PA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Berlin SC, Carr CB. Diagnostic imaging of the neonate. In: Martin RJ, Fanaroff AA, eds. Fanaroff and Martin's Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 38.
Cazares J, Ure B, Yamataka A. Biliary atresia. In: Holcomb GW, Murphy JP, St. Peter SD, eds. Holcomb and Ashcraft's Pediatric Surgery. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 43.
Kaplan M, Wong RJ, Bensen R, Sibley E, Stevenson DK. Neonatal jaundice and liver disease. In: Martin RJ, Fanaroff AA, eds. Fanaroff and Martin's Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 95.
Lam S, Balistreri WF. Cholestasis. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 404.