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What Parents Should Know About Hepatitis A

By U.S. News & World Report

Although parents may not hear about hepatitis A infections often, it’s important to know the signs and symptoms — as it’s more common than one would think. Hepatitis A is an inflammation affecting the liver, due to a highly contagious viral infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. This virus only affects the liver, but other viruses can also cause infection of the liver, including hepatitis B, C and E.

Signs and Symptoms

Hepatitis A has an incubation period of two to four weeks — from the time of acquiring infection to the start of symptoms. The symptoms start with nonspecific symptoms include fatigue, nausea and occasional vomiting. Subsequently, patients develop pain in the right part of the belly, corresponding to the position of the liver. Low grade fever, muscle aches, diarrhea and loss of appetite are common, as well as dark colored urine and yellow discoloration of the eyes and skin (known as jaundice). Symptoms last a few weeks, though rarely, patients will have more persistent symptoms that last longer. What makes things trickier is that some patients, especially young children, may not have any symptoms at all.

Unlike hepatitis B and C, hepatitis A infection does not become long-lasting (chronic) or cause long-term damage. Rarely, patients develop fulminant liver failure that requires a liver transplant. Occasionally, patients with underlying chronic liver disease may develop sudden loss of hepatic function and acute liver failure.

[See: 5 Common Preventable Medical Errors.]

So, How Does Your Little One Get Hepatitis A?

Patients acquire hepatitis A when they ingest an extremely small amount of virus from fecal contamination containing the virus. This may happen from exposure to contaminated water or exposure to food handled by someone with the virus who may have not thoroughly washed their hands. The virus can also be transmitted from eating raw shell fish exposed to contaminated water, or from close contact with someone who has been infected — even if they are asymptomatic. The virus can also be spread in childcare settings if the caregiver does not wash his or her hands after changing an infected baby’s diaper.

[See: When Health Treatments Go From Hospital to DIY.]

What to Do

If you are wary of your child contacting hepatitis A, either due to symptoms detailed above or exposure to someone with hepatitis A, you should seek the help of your pediatrician. If suspicious, the pediatrician would run specific antibody tests to look for current or prior exposure to hepatitis A. Liver function tests often elevation of liver specific enzymes. Prothrombin time (or INR) is a good way to evaluating liver functional capacity by indirectly evaluating clotting factors in the blood specifically made by the liver. This number goes up very high in acute liver failure.

The treatment of hepatitis A is often supportive and rarely requires hospitalization. The symptoms for most part resolve after a few weeks and so do the laboratory parameters. Patients should get adequate rest and seek treatment for nausea if severe. Patients warrant admission for acute liver failure or for vomiting and dehydration. Most acute liver failure will resolve on its own, but rarely, patients may require a liver transplant. It’s important to ensure that children are washing their hands thoroughly with soap and water after using toilet and as a parent with the infection, you should avoid cooking for others while actively infected. Medications and herbal medications that can potentially affect the liver should be used carefully after discussing with your child’s pediatrician.

[See: How to Disinfect Germ Hotspots.]

Prevention Is Key

Getting vaccinated with the hepatitis A vaccine can prevent the infection. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all children age 1 and older receive two vaccine shots, six months apart. If your child is traveling to a region with elevated risk of hepatitis A virus infection, all fruits and vegetables should be washed thoroughly. Using bottled water is recommended, even for brushing teeth, and water should be boiled if the quality cannot be assured. Raw or undercooked meat or fish should be avoided, and good hand hygiene is imperative. If you are not vaccinated against hepatitis A and have been exposed to the virus, receiving the vaccine or immunoglobulin (antibody) within two weeks of the exposure may prevent the infection. If your child is not vaccinated and traveling to elevated risk area, either discuss it with your pediatrician or reach out to your local health department or travel clinic for information regarding prevention.

More from U.S. News

5 Common Preventable Medical Errors

8 Questions to Ask Your Pharmacist

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What Parents Should Know About Hepatitis A originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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