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Juvenile Arthritis Center - Cedar Rapids, IA

Cedar Rapids Pediatric Rheumatologist Doctors for Juvenile Arthritis

Type of Physician: Pediatric Rheumatologist

What is a Pediatric Rheumatologist?

A subspecialty certification by the Board of Pediatrics; practitioners treat the infant, child, or adolescent with rheumatic disease (causing painful disability in the muscles, tendons, bones, joints or nerves). He or she also participates in the prevention, understanding, and treatment of the various rheumatic disorders and also promotes understanding of the basic mechanisms of the disease in the interrelated areas of immunology, genetics, inflammation, and infectious diseases.

Specialty: Pediatric Rheumatology

Common Name:

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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Juvenile Arthritis (Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis)

Arthritis in childhood? Isn't that only an old person's disease?

Most laypeople and many doctors fail to appreciate that arthritis in children exists. For the children affected and their families, education about the condition is essential. Many children suffer for months or years before the diagnosis of arthritis is thought of and proper treatment begun. But the problem doesn't end there. Children with arthritis frequently experience difficulty because their teachers and schoolmates don't understand that children can develop arthritis. They have no idea what to expect from the child with arthritis or about the nature of the illness. As a result, when the child is finally diagnosed with arthritis, the family may be told just to put them in a wheelchair because "nothing can be done." This is entirely wrong!

How common is arthritis in children?

Arthritis affects approximately one child in every 1,000 in a given year. Fortunately, most of these cases are mild. However, approximately one child in every 10,000 will have more severe arthritis that doesn't just go away. Many children have what is called an acute inflammatory arthritis following a viral or bacterial infection. This arthritis is often quite severe for a brief period but usually disappears within a few weeks or months. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is the most common type of arthritis that persists for months or years at a time. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is also now called juvenile arthritis or juvenile arthritis of unknown cause (juvenile idiopathic arthritis).

What are the signs, symptoms, and treatment of the different forms of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis?

There are three main forms of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), which are classified by how they begin. These forms are pauciarticular (less than four joints affected), polyarticular (four or more joints affected), and syste...

Recommended Reading Related to Juvenile Arthritis (Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis)

Kawasaki Disease »

Kawasaki's disease facts

  • Kawasaki's disease is a syndrome of unknown cause that mainly strikes young children.
  • Signs of the disease include fever and redness of the eyes, hands, feet, mouth, and tongue.
  • The disease can be treated with high doses of aspirin (salicylic acid) and gammaglobulin.
  • Kawasaki's disease usually resolves on its own within a month or two.
  • Some children with Kawasaki's disease suffer damage to the coronary arteries.

What is Kawasaki's disease, and how is it diagnosed?

Kawasaki's disease is an uncommon illness in children that is characterized by high fever of at least five days' duration together with at least four of the following five findings:

  1. Inflammation with reddening of the whites of the eyes (conjunctivitis) without pus
  2. Redness or swelling of the hands or feet, or generalized skin peeli...

Emergency Contact for Cedar Rapids

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Cedar Rapids Hospitals *

St Luke's Hospital
1026 A Ave NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
(319)369-7211

Mercy Medical Center Cedar Rapids
701 Tenth St SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52403
(319)398-6011

Virginia Gay Hospital
502 N Ninth Ave
Vinton, IA 52349
(319)472-6200

Iowa City VA Medical Center
601 Highway 6 W
Iowa City, IA 52246
(319)338-0581

Jones Regional Medical Center
1795 Highway 64 E
Anamosa, IA 52205
(319)462-6131

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
200 Hawkins Dr
Iowa City, IA 52242
(319)356-1616

Mercy Hospital Iowa City
500 E Market St
Iowa City, IA 52245
(319)339-0300

Marengo Memorial Hospital
300 W May St
Marengo, IA 52301
(319)642-5543

Mental Health Institute
2277 Iowa Ave
Independence, IA 50644
(319)334-2583

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