Hepatitis B: How to Care for Your Child

Hepatitis B is when the liver gets infected by the hepatitis B virus and might not work as well as it should. The liver, an organ in the right upper abdomen, has several jobs, including breaking down fatty food, storing energy, clearing toxins from the blood, and making proteins that help blood to clot.

Hepatitis B may cause symptoms such as fever, feeling tired, belly pain, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), joint pain, and nausea or vomiting. In some kids, these symptoms go away within a few weeks or months. But other kids have an infection that lasts longer, and they may need to see a liver specialist.

Hepatitis B symptoms usually go away on their own, but sometimes kids get medicine to help manage them. If your child has the type of hepatitis B that needs long-term treatment, they'll be put on medicine to help avoid problems it could cause in the future.

Care Instructions

  • Follow the health care provider's instructions for treating any symptoms your child is having.
  • Talk to your health care provider before you give your child any over-the-counter medicines (the kind you can buy without a prescription), such as pain or fever medicines (like acetaminophen or ibuprofen) or herbal supplements.
  • Do not give aspirin to your child or teen as it has been linked to a rare but serious illness called Reye syndrome.
  • Give your child all prescribed medicines exactly as directed.
  • Make sure your child rests as needed.
  • Your child should eat normally and drink plenty of liquids. Small, frequent meals without fatty foods can help with nausea.
  • To keep the virus from spreading, family members should not share toothbrushes or razors.
  • If your child has not been vaccinated against hepatitis A, talk to your health care provider about getting this vaccine.

Call Your Health Care Provider if...

Your child:

  • has severe diarrhea or weight loss
  • has pain under the ribs on the right side of the belly
  • is bruising easily
  • has a swollen belly or swelling of another part of the body
  • has severe itching

Go to the ER if...

Your child:

  • vomits blood
  • has blood in the stool (poop) or urine (pee)
  • has severe pain
  • is vomiting and can't keep liquids down
  • seems confused or unusually sleepy
  • has trouble breathing
  • shows signs of dehydration, such as dizziness, drowsiness, a dry or sticky mouth, sunken eyes, peeing less often than usual, dark pee, or crying with little or no tears

More to Know

How do people get hepatitis B? Hepatitis B can spread through sexual contact, sharing contaminated needles or other items (like razors or toothbrushes), or kidney dialysis. A mother with hepatitis B can pass it to her child during birth. Some people have few or no symptoms. Even without symptoms, an infected person can pass the hepatitis B virus to others.

What can protect others from getting hepatitis B? The hepatitis B vaccine protects against the infection very well. To prevent the spread of hepatitis B, people should always use condoms when having sex, not use intravenous drugs or share needles, and not share toothbrushes or razors. Someone with hepatitis B should not donate blood.