300,000 children in the U.S. suffer from chronic juvenile arthritis

Learn More about the Signs, Symptoms and Treatments for this Debilitating Pediatric Disease

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and children across the U.S. will be playing with their new toys or outside in the snow during their school break. However, for children with juvenile arthritis these activities may be more difficult.

Nearly 300,000 children from infants to teenagers in the U.S. are diagnosed with one of seven forms of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Children suffering with JIA may experience pain and stiffness, swollen joints, and more limited mobility than their peers. Other symptoms include fatigue, limping, eye infections, and lingering fever, rash, or swollen glands. About 30% of young patients maintain significant limitations for 10 or more years after the onset of JIA.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common rheumatic disease of childhood and one of the more common chronic diseases of childhood. JIA occurs as often as juvenile diabetes mellitus, four times more frequently than cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia, and 10 times more frequently than acute lymphoblastic leukemia, hemophilia, or muscular dystrophy.

JIA basically means a chronic arthritis of childhood of an unknown cause. There are a number of different types of JIA including polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis which affects multiple different joints and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA), which can be a very severe condition that causes inflammation in many parts of their body not just the joints but fever, rashes and kids can be very sick, according to Dr. Derrick J. Todd, MD, PhD, rheumatologist and Director of the Brigham and Women’s Rheumatology Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Center, in Boston, Massachusetts. According to Dr. Todd, “PJIA (Polyarticular JIA) is most similar to adult rheumatoid arthritis meaning there are lots of swollen stiff joints. Kids can’t use their arms or hands properly and it’s due to an abnormality of the immune system attacking the joints and potentially causing damage if it is not diagnosed and treated early.” “SJIA (Systemic JIA) is the most severe type of the condition which causes fevers, rashes. Kids can be mistaken for having infections and even leukemia. Often the diagnosis is made in the hospital and requires intensive therapy, “he said. Around 10 percent of children with JIA will have Systemic JIA and around 25 percent of children with JIA will have the polyarticular form.

There are numerous prescription medications used to treat SJIA and PJIA. “A parent will need to be working with the rheumatologist to determine which drug is right for their patient. In regards to those two types of JIA (PJIA and SJIA), there is a medication called Actemra which is approved for both types. There are other medications that are approved for each of the various subtypes of JIA,” said Dr. Todd. For more information Dr. Todd suggests the first thing to do is go to your physician or nurse at your local clinic where you are usually seen or your rheumatologist if you have one.

Online you can go to

KIDS GET ARTHRITIS TOO American College of Rheumatology

BIO

Derrick J. Todd, MD, PhD is a rheumatologist and Director of the Brigham and Women’s Rheumatology Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Center, in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Todd completed his undergraduate degree at Yale University, medical and graduate school at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, internal medicine residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, and rheumatology fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He is an Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Areas of clinical expertise include musculoskeletal ultrasound and also adolescent rheumatology for patients transitioning from pediatric to adult rheumatology care.

SOURCES

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: (Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis:) http://pedsinreview.aappublications.org/content/27/4/e24 Arthritis Foundation arthritis.org/