Juvenile arthritis is the most common type of arthritis in children under 16 years of age. In some children it can start even as young as one year. If not treated early, serious complications can develop in children.
The most frequent form is juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), which affects the tissue lining the inside of the joints. There are six major types of JIA, which are classified according to the number of joints involved and laboratory tests. When one to four joints is involved it is called oligo arthritis and when five or more joints are involved it is called polyarthritis.
The symptoms of juvenile arthritis include pain, restriction of movement and swelling of joints. In systemic inflammation they come with fever and swelling in internal organs. “Usually in children, the mother notices restriction in movement and the swelling,” said Dr A Aravindan, Assistant Professor, Department of Rheumatology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur.
“In paediatric age groups mostly will be due to bacterial and viral infections. Rheumatic fever is one such cause,” said Dr Varaprasad Narayanaswamy, assistant professor, Government Medical College, Omandurar, Chennai. Acute Rheumatic Fever is a systemic inflammatory condition triggered by an untreated Group A Streptococcus infection wherein the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy body tissues. When it affects children’s joints, it manifests as migratory polyarthritis, a characteristic inflammation that swiftly shifts between multiple large joints
Children diagnosed with juvenile arthritis would require eye check up, vaccination advice, growth monitoring, nutrition and counselling besides other help. “They need regular treatment and lab tests,” added Dr Aravindan.
In juvenile arthritis, if treatment is delayed it can cause serious complications and affect the growth of the child. It can also cause eye inflammation (uveitis), added Dr Varaprasad.