by Veronica Beaudry

Created on: May 04, 2008

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is a form of arthritis that affects children under the age of 16. There are approximately 500,000 kids in the United States with this disease.

Symptoms

JRA is one kind of autoimmune disease, a disease in which the body erroneously attacks healthy cells. This results in inflammation and pain. Children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis will have pain, swelling and stiffness in his or her joints, as well as problems sleeping and walking.

Webmd.com states that other JRA symptoms include intermittent fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, anemia and a blotchy rash on the arms or legs. A child who limps early in the morning or after a nap could be displaying an early sign of juvenile arthritis. A child with systemic JRA could also have a high fever, salmon colored rash and swollen lymph nodes.

If you suspect JRA, you need to get your child evaluated as soon as possible. This illness can cause inflammatory eye disease, which could lead to blindness. Systemic JRA can also harm organs like the heart, liver and spleen. Fortunately, children are usually able to overcome juvenile arthritis with proper treatment.

Types of JRA

1. Pauciarticular JRA tends to affect the larger joints and usually affects less than five of those types of joints. It is the most common type of juvenile RA and is also the mildest. It tends to affect girls more than boys, with girls under the age 8 being more likely to develop this type of arthritis.

2. Polyarticular arthritis tends to affect more than five joints and is usually symmetrical. Smaller joints, like those of the hands and feet, are usually the ones affected by polyarticular arthritis. This type of juvenile arthritis can also affect the iris (the part of the eye that has color). Polyarticular arthritis tends to affect girls more often than boys. This type of JRA is similar to adult rheumatoid arthritis.

3. Systemic JRA is the least common and most severe type of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. This form of juvenile arthritis is called systemic because it can affect the entire body. Systemic JRA can affect organs like the heart, liver and spleen. It tends to affect boys and girls equally and is characterized by high fevers and a salmon colored rash. Some children who have systemic JRA continue to have severe problems as adults while other manage to outgrow this disease with proper treatment.

Diagnosis and treatment

When juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is suspected, a doctor will run blood and urine tests to check for

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