Causes of gallstones in children

Gallstones in children are usually caused by or linked to other health conditions including childhood liver or bile-duct (hepatobiliary) conditions. For example:

• Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis(PFIC)
• Cystic fibrosis
• Trisomy 21
• Haemolytic disorders (e.g. sickle cell disease)
• Obesity
• Long term tube feeding where the tube goes straight into the blood (prolonged parenteral nutrition or intravenous feeding)
• Conditions affecting the digestive system such as Crohn’s disease and coeliac disease

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Symptoms of gallstones in children

Many gallstones do not cause a problem. Symptoms might not start until adulthood. The symptoms can also be very similar to symptoms seen in other liver conditions. So they may be hard to spot.

Symptoms can include:

• tummy pain that comes and goes
• pain or heaviness under the ribs on the right-hand side
• feeling full or bloated
• sudden severe tummy pain, with or without high temperature (fever)
• Jaundice (a yellow colour to the eyes or skin) and pale poo, with or without high temperature (fever)

When to get urgent help

Call NHS 111 or go to A&E if your child:

• has severe pain, and nothing seems to be helping it
• gets jaundice (a yellow colour to the eyes or skin) for the first time
• has a high temperature and severe tummy pain

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Testing for gallstones in children

If your child has a liver condition, their liver team will test for and treat gallstones.

 The most common tests for gallstones are:

• Liver blood tests
• Imaging tests for example an ultrasound scan

Find out more about tests for gallstones 

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Treatment for gallstones in children

Treatment options will vary based on several factors. These include your child’s symptoms and if they have another liver, bile duct or other health condition.

If there are no symptoms and the gallstones were found by chance during tests for something else then there is usually no need for any treatment.

Your child’s liver medical team can explain the best options. They will also help you decide what to do next.

Treatment options could include:

• Watching and waiting to see if the problem gets better by itself
• Medicines to help with symptoms
• Surgery to remove the gallbladder
• A procedure to remove stones stuck outside the gallbladder (ERCP)

When deciding about a treatment it can help to ask your medical team:

• What are the benefits of this treatment?
• What are the risks?
• Are there any other possible treatments?
• What would happen if we do nothing?

Diet

The specialist team should also be able to help you with your child’s diet. There is no special diet for gallstones. But some people find that certain foods can make the symptoms worse.

This can get more complicated if your child needs a special diet for another liver condition. If you need support with your child’s diet you should be referred to a specialist NHS dietician.

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