“Juvenile arthritis (JA), also known as pediatric rheumatic disease, isn’t a specific disease.

JA is an umbrella term for various inflammatory and rheumatic diseases affecting children under 16, with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) being the most common type.  These conditions affect hundreds of thousands of kids and teens in the United States.

Most kinds of JA are autoimmune or autoinflammatory diseases. That means the immune system, which is supposed to fight against foreign invaders like viruses and germs, instead releases inflammatory chemicals that attack healthy cells and tissue. In most JA cases this causes joint inflammation, swelling, pain and tenderness, but some types of JA have few or no joint symptoms or only affect the skin and internal organs.

The exact causes of JA are unknown, but researchers believe that certain genes may cause JA when activated by a virus, bacteria or other external factors. There is no evidence that foods, toxins, allergies or lack of vitamins cause the disease.”

Arthritis Foundation (Juvenile Arthritis: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment | Arthritis Foundation)