1. What is juvenile idiopathic arthritis?

JIA is the name for several forms of arthritis in children and teenagers. Juvenile means the arthritis begins before your child is 16 years old, idiopathic means the cause is not known and arthritis means one or more of your child’s joints are inflamed – that is, they are swollen, painful, stiff and your child may not be able to move them as far as normal.

JIA is an autoimmune disease, where your immune system gets confused and attacks healthy joint tissue, causing inflammation. Research is ongoing as to why this should occur. JIA can sometimes be seen in association with other autoimmune conditions. This inflammatory disease principally affects the joints but may also affect other organs including the eyes. Every year about 1 in 10,000 children in Ireland is diagnosed with the condition making it almost as common as childhood diabetes. There are roughly 1,200 children living with arthritis in Ireland today. It can begin at any age, although it most commonly shows up in younger children. It can develop in boys or girls, although most types are more common in girls. For the vast majority of these children, arthritis is not the same as in adults.