Which clinical manifestation should a nurse teach parents about biliary atresia?

In the context of biliary atresia, dark urine is a significant clinical manifestation that parents should be educated about. Biliary atresia is a condition characterized by the obstruction of bile flow due to abnormal development of the bile ducts, leading to a backup of bile in the liver and subsequently resulting in liver damage. When bile cannot reach the intestines, bilirubin, a component of bile, accumulates in the bloodstream, causing jaundice, characterized by yellowing of the skin and sclera and also leads to changes in urine and stool color.

In cases of biliary atresia, the urine may appear darker than normal due to the excess bilirubin being excreted by the kidneys instead of being processed normally in the intestine. This dark urine serves as an important indicator of liver dysfunction and abnormal bilirubin metabolism.

Teaching parents about this symptom is essential, as early recognition and prompt reporting of dark urine can lead to earlier intervention and treatment, potentially improving outcomes for the child. Awareness of other symptoms such as pale stools, jaundice, or poor weight gain is also important but the focus in this context is on the dark urine, which directly reflects the metabolic issues stemming from the disease.