Rheumatic disorders—caused by an overactive immune system—can affect infants and children, leading to pain, inflammation, and damage in joints, muscles, and sometimes internal organs like kidney.
Early diagnosis and timely treatment is critical, said Dr. Pankaj Hari, Professor and Head of the Department of Paediatrics at AIIMS, Delhi. If left untreated, these conditions can lead to permanent damage to joints, kidneys, and other organs.
“Delayed diagnosis could lead to permanent organ damage, affecting joints and other internal organs such as the kidneys,” he said.
Dr. Narendra Bagri, Associate Professor at AIIMS, Delhi added that rheumatic conditions include a wide range of illnesses extending from the relatively common to extremely rare, such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, juvenile dermatomyositis. Among autoinflammatory disorders are familial Mediterranean fever, rheumatic fever, Kawasaki disease, Blau syndrome, chronic atypical neutrophilic dermatosis with lipodystrophy and elevated temperature, cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes, and others.
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is the most common disorder, Kawasaki disease (affects blood vessels and can lead to heart complications), and juvenile dermatomyositis. It is a rare condition affecting muscles and skin, causing muscle weakness and a distinctive rash, especially on the face and knuckles.
Vasculitis is another type of rheumatic disease which is inflammation of blood vessels. It can affect various organs depending on the type, said Dr Bagri.
These disorders can occur at any age. Symptoms for rheumatic disorders often include prolonged fever, joint pain and swelling, stiffness, fatigue, skin rashes, and redness.
Dr. Bagri explained that treatment usually involves steroids and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). These medicines may slow down the disease and treat any immune system problems linked to the disease. Also, a balanced lifestyle and early medical attention can help manage and even prevent severe outcomes.
However, steroids should not be given for longer duration as these can have side effect on the patient.
Both doctors, however, highlighted that diagnosis is often delayed—sometimes by months or years—due to lack of awareness or misdiagnosis. “The longer the delay, the greater the risk of serious, lasting damage. Early recognition and intervention make a significant difference in a child라이브 바카라 health and quality of life,” said Dr. Hari.
