What Causes Arthritis in Children?
No life style activities or inherited factors have been identified as causing or contributing to arthritis in children, however some genes seems to increase the chance of developing specific forms of JA as noted in the section on types of arthritis. Even though some children may develop a sore throat or other infections before developing arthritis, no germ has been linked with the onset of arthritis. As yet, the cause or causes have not been identified but research is continuing. It is most important for parents not to believe they may be responsible in anyway. Types of Arthritis Different terms are often used when referring to arthritis in childhood. This can be very confusing. The reason for this is that difference countries use different names, but they are all describing the same condition. In Australia, the United Kingdom and Europe it is common to use the term Juvenile Arthritis (JA), in the USA and Canada, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) is used. In some literature childhood
