Arthritis Foundation Offers Tools for Juvenile Arthritis
According to the Arthritis Foundation, 300,000 children in the United States have juvenile arthritis. The effects of the various types of juvenile arthritis can be serious, even life-threatening. The organization wants caregivers to learn the signs and symptoms of this condition.
“When joint pain, swelling or stiffness occurs in one or more joints for at least six weeks, it may be an early signal of a serious, inflammatory rheumatic disease that requires immediate medical treatment to prevent permanent joint damage,” says Susan Carter, chief executive officer of the Arthritis Foundation’s South Central Region.
Fortunately, advances in research have yielded new treatments with moderate effects for children with arthritis.
“Early diagnosis and a proper treatment plan can enable a child with the disease to live an active, full childhood,” Carter says.
The Arthritis Foundation developed the following tools to help caregivers and children learn more about this chronic condition:
- A juvenile arthritis Web site provides a community for children to learn about juvenile arthritis and read stories about other children with the disease.
- A juvenile arthritis registry tracks drug side effects and establishes treatment benchmarks to benefit future juvenile arthritis treatments.
Find out more about the types of juvenile arthritis here.