Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Call your doctor immediately if:

• Your child has sudden, unexplained swelling, redness, and pain in any joint or joints.
• A baby or child is unusually cranky or reluctant to crawl or walk.
• Red eyes, eye pain, and blurring or loss of vision occur in a child who has been diagnosed with any form of juvenile arthritis.

Call your doctor if any of the following symptoms continue for more than 2 days:

• A child has unexplained daily fever spikes [103°F (39.4°C) to 106°F (41.1°C)] with or without a pink skin rash.
• A baby or child is reluctant to crawl or walk in the early morning but improves after 1 to 2 hours.
• A child taking aspirin or another nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) develops stomach pain not clearly related to stomach flu, but possibly related to medicine use. (Symptoms may include heartburn, nausea, or refusal to eat.)
• Joint pain and skin rash develop following a sore throat.

It can be hard to know when an infant has joint pain. A young child may be unusually cranky or may revert to crawling after he or she has started walking. You may notice gait problems with a walking child or stiffness in the morning.

Who to see

For a first check of joint pain and other symptoms of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), consult with a:

• Reference Family medicine doctor Opens New Window.
• Reference Pediatrician Opens New Window.
• Reference Nurse practitioner (NP) Opens New Window.
• Reference Physician assistant (PA) Opens New Window.

For more testing and disease management, consult with a Reference rheumatologist Opens New Window who specializes in children's rheumatic disease (pediatric rheumatologist).

The disease management team for JIA may also include:

• An Reference orthopedic surgeon Opens New Window who specializes in children's orthopedic problems (pediatric orthopedist).
• Nurses.
• Physical and occupational therapists.
• A registered dietitian, as needed.
• A social worker or psychologist, as needed.
• A general dentist and an orthodontist, as needed.
• An Reference ophthalmologist Opens New Window.

To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Reference Making the Most of Your Appointment.

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