Did you know that children are just as susceptible to arthritis as adults? In fact, nearly 300,000 children in the United States have been diagnosed with juvenile arthritis (also referred to as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis).
While the causes of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) are unknown, many professionals think that JRA may be a type of immune response in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks cells in the joints as if they were infected with a virus. In recognition of July being National Juvenile Arthritis Month, we’ve outlined some facts about this common arthritis in children.
Facts About Juvenile Arthritis
- Affects one in every 1,000 children [via]
- Also referred to sometimes as juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)
- May involve one or many joints, and it can cause other symptoms such as: fever, rash, or eye inflammation. [via]
- Juvenile arthritis (JA) is an umbrella term for several different types of autoimmune and inflammatory arthritis affecting children under the age of 16 years-old [via]
- Though there are different types of arthritis affecting children, juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common
Symptoms of Juvenile Arthritis
While juvenile arthritis can be difficult to diagnose, common symptoms include:
- Limping
- Swollen/swelling joints
- Stiffness when waking up
- Reduced activity level
- Persistent fever
- Excessive clumsiness
- Difficulty with fine motor activities
- And more
Types of Juvenile Arthritis
According to the American College of Rheumatology, there are several terms used to describe a child with chronic arthritis. Of these terms, juvenile idiopathic arthritis is the most common. Within JIA, there are several different types of arthritis. They are outlined below.
- Systemic onset JIA – affects approximately 10% of children with arthritis; symptoms include fever, rash, and joint swelling, which may not appear for months to years after a fever begins
- Obligoarticular JIA – affects approximately half of all children with arthritis; may last into adulthood; may cause eye inflammation issues
- Polyarticular JIA – affects children at any age; affects five or more joints and may cause premature adult rheumatoid arthritis
- Psoriatic Arthritis – children have both psoriasis as well as arthritis; can cause swelling of toes and fingers
- Enthesitis-Related Arthritis – sometimes referred to as spondyloarthropathy and involves joint pain with/without obvious swelling
References:
- American College of Rheumatology
- EveryDay Health
- HealthCentral
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Resources:
- What is juvenile arthritis? | Arthritis Foundation
- July is juvenile arthritis awareness month | Arthritis Research Foundation
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