Is Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Hereditary?

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, juvenile arthritis is not hereditary. However, researchers believe that certain genes predispose some children to juvenile arthritis, if exposure to something in the environment (for example, a virus) activates the gene.

Background

• Swelling in a child's joints that lasts six weeks or longer may indicate juvenile arthritis. Juvenile arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease, where the body attacks its own healthy cells and tissues. According to the AAOS, in the United States, this disease affects almost 250,000 people under age 16.

Terminology

• The AAOS states that because the three types of juvenile arthritis have little in common with adult rheumatoid arthritis, the term "juvenile rheumatoid arthritis" is no longer widely used. The three types of juvenile arthritis are pauciarticular, polyarticular and systemic.

Pauciarticular

• Pauciarticular juvenile arthritis involves only a few joints and may cause eye inflammation that can lead to blindness if not treated.

Polyarticular

• Polyarticular juvenile arthritis affects five or more small joints (such as in the hands and feet), usually on the same side of the body, and may also affect large joints.

Systemic

• In addition to swelling, pain and limited motion in at least one joint, systemic juvenile arthritis also causes rash and inflammation of internal organs such as the heart, liver, spleen and lymph nodes. If a child has fever of at least 102 degrees every day for at least two weeks, systemic juvenile arthritis may be the cause.