Did you know that March is Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month? I have mentioned here before that Kids Get Arthritis Too. I have also posted about how important it is, especially for rheumatoid arthritis, to get diagnosed early. But did you also know that the same is true for kids?
As part of its awareness campaign for Juvenile Arthritis, the Arthritis Society has shared this information about a study by the Canadian Alliance of Pediatric Rheumatology Investigators (CAPRI), which found that children will see at least three health practitioners and wait four to five months after their symptoms begin before being correctly diagnosed and receiving optimal care. One of the reasons is thought to be the overall lack of awareness that kids can get arthritis too.
Other interesting facts about JA from the Arthritis Society: JA is one of the more common disorders resulting in chronic disability in children and adolescents in Canada. Altogether, approximately 61,500 Canadian toddlers, youths and young adults live with the intense pain and disability of arthritis. That’s at least one case for every school.