Fatty liver disease cases on the rise in children

A disease that used to only affect adult alcoholics is now plaguing kids. More than seven million children in the US are thought to have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and it can lead to serious health problems.

Kimberly Rhodes looks like a typical kid, but her health has kept her from living like one.

"I can't go to real school. I can't play sports. I'm not a normal 13-year-old," she said.

When Rhodes was just 4-years-old, she found out she had fatty liver disease.

"When I was like maybe 8, I was diagnosed with cirrhosis," she said.

"It was kind of a shock to hear a child can get something like that," said Stacey Rhodes, Kimberly's mom.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease happens when the liver becomes bloated and infiltrated by fat cells. The condition is on the rise in kids.

"Unfortunately, up to 10 percent of kids in the United States may have fatty liver disease," said Naim Alkhouri, MD, director of the Metabolic Liver Disease Clinic.

Obesity is a big factor. Seventeen percent of kids in the US are obese and 17 percent are overweight. Fifty percent of obese kids will develop fatty liver disease.

"Obesity has the same effect on the liver as alcohol basically," Alkhouri said.

Until now an invasive liver biopsy was the only way to determine just how severe the condition was. But doctors at the Cleveland Clinic have developed an online fatty liver disease calculator.

Plugging in blood liver enzymes and platelet counts into a mathematical equation gives doctors an idea of how advanced a patient's disease is.

"By applying this calculator, you can avoid liver biopsy in approximately 60 percent of kids," Alkhouri said.

Rhodes' disease has already progressed to cirrhosis, so she will likely need a liver transplant in the coming years. She hopes one day, she'll be able to do what other kids her age can.

"Go back to karate. Maybe soccer," she said.

"She never lets it get her down completely. She's always happy," Stacey Rhodes said.

There does appear to be a genetic component to fatty liver disease. Certain ethnic groups, including Mexican-Americans, appear to be more susceptible. The condition is usually detected when other health problems, such as diabetes or high cholesterol, arise. The good news is fatty liver disease is reversible if it's not in an advanced stage.