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As the name implies, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is a type of arthritis that primarily affects the young. Children as young as six months can be diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. In the United States, approximately 75,000 young people have this debilitating condition.

Like rheumatoid arthritis in adults, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is essentially an autoimmune disease. This is a syndrome whereby the body produces antibodies that attack its own joint tissues. Currently, medical researchers have not determined that exact cause of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. However, there are several theories as to how juvenile rheumatoid arthritis can happen.

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis cannot be diagnosed by any single test. A series of tests may be required to diagnose this form of arthritis and only after persistent presence of symptoms for at least 6 weeks, to rule out other possible medical conditions. A pediatric rheumatologist is an expert who specializes in arthritis in children, and may be required to treat children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

There are three major types of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and it usually takes 6 months to determine the type a child suffers from. These three types are:Pauciarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis; Polyarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis; Systemic onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

Pauciarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis affects a few joints, as little as four, or less. Half the children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis have this type of arthritis, and usually the joints of the knees, ankles, and elbows are affected. Joints of the wrists, spine and finger or toe joints are rarely, if at all, affected. It normally affects joints on one side of the body and not both sides.

Polyarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis affects five joints or more. It affects the girls more than boys, and mainly teenagers. This type normally affects the hands and the finger joints, but can also affect the neck, jaw, hips, knees, and ankles. If affecting the spine, the child may find it difficult to turn the head due to stiffness in the neck.

Systematic juvenile rheumatoid arthritis refers to the fact that the disease may sometimes affect the whole body. This happens when the immune system becomes weakened by the disease. Children afflicted with systematic juvenile rheumatoid arthritis may experience fevers, rashes, in addition to the feelings of joint stiffness and overall pain and discomfort. Other symptoms that are specific to the systematic form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis include the enlargement of the lymph nodes and the spleen.