What Causes Biliary Atresia?

Gender And Ethnicity

Currently, researchers believe gender and ethnicity could be risk factors for biliary atresia. The condition is more common in female infants than in males, and African-American and East Asian communities have higher rates of biliary atresia than other communities. In East Asia, the condition occurs in approximately one out of every five thousand births, and it is diagnosed in an estimated one out of every 16,700 births in Great Britain and one out of every ten to fifteen thousand births in the United States. In twins, usually only one twin will have biliary atresia, and the other will not have the condition. All parents should be familiar with the potential symptoms of biliary atresia, including jaundice, pale stools, dark urine, and a swollen abdomen, and they should seek help for these symptoms immediately.

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