The present article is a literature review on etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, conservative and surgical treatment of chyloperitoneum in newborns. Chyloperitoneum is an extremely rare pathology in children and, not in all cases it is possible to find its cause. The management protocol for chyloperitoneum has not been developed. The most effective approach for managing this disease is a starvation pause, than transfer to full parenteral nutrition, administration of somatostatin (octreotide) and drainage of the abdominal cavity. Conservative therapy may take several months and, its effectiveness reaches 60-100%. Surgical treatment is aimed to indentify a focus of lymph leakage and its elimination; in severe cases, the fibrin glue is used.

The article describes clinical observation of treatment of a premature infant with chyloperitoneum. Accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity was diagnosed prenatally at 31–32 weeks of gestation. Premature surgical delivery was performed at 34– 35 weeks due to the high risk of antenatal fetal death. Paracentesis with fluid analysis was done; chylous exudate was confirmed. Total parenteral nutrition, octreotide and drainage of the abdominal cavity were used during conservative treatment. It was decided to perform a surgery as the therapy was ineffective. At the age of 2 months and 7 days laparotomy was conducted, abdominal organs were revised, lymph ducts were ligated, and abdominal cavity was drained producing a positive effect. The fluid outflow was terminated and the child was discharged in a satisfactory condition.

The article describes two cases of children operated on for the biliary atresia (BA) on days 56 and 33 of their life. One child after the Kasai surgery had liver transplantation at the age of 1 year and 2 months because of the deterioration of his liver synthetic function which was manifested by the clotting factor deficiency. Another child (5-month old) does not need any transplantation at present. The article defines “red trackers” for the immediate examination of a child for biliary atresia.