What causes Biliary Atresia ?
Biliary atresia likely has multiple causes, though none are yet proven. Biliary atresia is not an inherited disease, meaning it does not pass from parent to child. Therefore, survivors of biliary atresia are not at risk for passing the disorder to their children.
                
Biliary atresia is most likely caused by an event in the womb or around the time of birth. Possible triggers of the event may include one or more of the following:
                
- a viral or bacterial infection after birth, such as cytomegalovirus, reovirus, or rotavirus  - an immune system problem, such as when the immune system attacks the liver or bile ducts for unknown reasons  - a genetic mutation, which is a permanent change in a genes structure  - a problem during liver and bile duct development in the womb  - exposure to toxic substances