ABU DHABI // Parents have been urged not to dismiss juvenile idiopathic arthritis, a hidden disorder crippling youngsters, as growing pains.
The childhood form of arthritis, which is caused by the body attacking its healthy cells, is often missed in youngsters, said Dr Humeira Badsha, the founding member of the Middle East Arthritis Foundation.
“Most people believe arthritis is an old person’s disease,” she said. “I have had parents of a two-year-old girl who was unable to even straighten her arm.
“They did not even notice. When they finally did, they thought it was something neurological and went to a neurologist.
“They are still not aware that arthritis can affect kids.”
In the UAE, about one in 10,000 children are diagnosed with the condition every year, making juvenile idiopathic arthritis – also called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis – as significant as many other childhood illnesses, said Dr Betina Rogalski, a specialist paediatric rheumatologist at the Children’s Medical Centre in Dubai.
Arthritis in adults is very common in the UAE, affecting one in five people, according to the arthritis foundation.
The disease could affect children as young as three months. “It is very difficult for a child to live with this because it is difficult to write, to play, to do sports, to participate in activities,” Dr Badsha said. “Often they look normal from the outside, so their friends think they are making it up.
“It is quite difficult for the child and also for the family to cope because the child is in pain.”
Warning signs can include limping without obvious cause of injury, swollen joints, stiffness first thing in the morning, and sudden reluctance to walk or play.
Babies who struggle to crawl or cry excessively when doing so might also have juvenile idiopathic arthritis, Dr Badsha, also a consultant rheumatologist in Dubai, said.
Early diagnosis is key to limiting long-term damage.
“Children can have completely normal lives, especially with early treatment,” Dr Badsha said. “It stops the immune system from attacking the joints.
“Children especially, because joint damage can happen very fast. These are growing bones and joints.”
The disease, if not treated, might affect a child’s growing process, she said. “They might have one leg or one arm shorter than the other, for example,” Dr Badsha said.
Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis are also more prone to fractures. The spectrum of the illness is wide. Some children might have a milder form, while others will have arthritis so severe it could cause permanent deformity.
Dr Avinash Gurbaxani, a consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital, Dubai, treats paediatric patients with uveitis, an inflammatory eye disease that is a common complication in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
“I think a lot of the time, a parent will not understand that their child has arthritis, and so it could be dismissed as growing pains or kids getting hurt while playing.
“It is important if your child is complaining of pain in their joints on a regular basis, or if you notice that they walk differently, that they get checked out, specifically with a rheumatologist.”
Dr Bhavna Khan, a rheumatologist at Burjeel Hospital for Advanced Surgery, said arthritis could affect people of any age. “It is not diagnosed early because symptoms can be vague.” This means often the crucial period of treatment is lost and people might end up developing joint deformation and disability.
jbell@thenational.ae
