Journal of Clinical Pediatrics and Neonatology

Recent research underscores the risk posed by plastic compounds to pediatric liver health. These compounds can permeate the maternal-fetal-child barrier through the placenta and breastfeeding, exposing fetus/child to potential harm during crucial developmental stages [1,2].

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is the growing epidemic which is rapidly increasing in USA. Elderly people are the most affected population which suffers from NAFLD. The earliest stage of NAFLD, hepatic steatosis has no evidence of liver injury, but is characterized by an accumulation of triglycerides in hepatocytes. Hepatic steatosis progresses in age-dependent manner to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhosis. Mechanisms of development of age associated NAFLD are not well understood and approaches to treat this disease are not developed. Recent studies within last three years; however, provided several lines of evidence showing that although hepatic steatosis strongly correlates with development of NAFLD, it might be not a cause of next steps of NAFLD: fibrosis and NASH. Moreover, some reports suggest that hepatic steatosis might play a protective role in development of fibrosis and NASH. Recent studies of NAFLD in animal models showed that the increase of liver proliferation is the first event in high-fat diet-induced NAFLD.

Over the last four decades, epidemics and pandemics like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), have made such an impact that the attention of physicians and scientists is solely, and rightly, on bringing appropriate solutions immediately to save millions of lives globally.