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Stories for Reprint
CDC: Nearly 300,000 Children Have Arthritis
By Ferdous Al-Faruque, MARRTC Staff
Arthritis is often associated with growing old, however a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention brings awareness about the disease's impact on children.
The CDC study analyzed medical visits from around the country and estimated that there are almost 300,000 children in the US with a rheumatic disease. This information was taken from physician office visits, and from outpatient and emergency department records gathered between 2001 and 2004.
The CDC estimates that 1 out of every 250 children has arthritis or another rheumatic condition. However, unlike adults, children who have a rheumatic disease in many cases also have a far more severe condition. For example, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is the leading cause of blindness in children.
"The message (of the study) is kind of mixed," says Jeffrey Sacks, an epidemiologist for the CDC and principal investigator of the study. He says though arthritis is rare in children it is still a big problem and "For those affected the only number that matters is one."
Since the CDC has not previously surveyed records on pediatric rheumatic diseases, this study is an important first step. In short, it will be able to measure the health care system's ability to meet the current needs of those children with arthritic diseases. Results of the study will also help health care providers watch and predict the future needs of children with rheumatic diseases. "I liken this estimate to taking a population's temperature," said Sacks. "If it goes up we need to investigate, understand why, and see if anything can be done to lower it."
At this time, the study concludes that health care for children with a rheumatic disease can "impose a substantial burden on the pediatric health care system." It was found that there were on average 827,000 visits to physician offices, outpatient clinics and emergency rooms by children due to a rheumatic condition. Some years that number was well exceeded. "It's clear that you have a million visits in some years and well over that if you add in visits for conditions that need to be evaluated to rule out arthritis," says Sacks. Those visits add up to a lot of money.
There is also currently a lack of specialists to care for children with a rheumatic disease. In fact this year in a report to the US Congress, the Department of Health and Human Services pointed out that some states have nearly 3,000 children with a rheumatic disease for every pediatric rheumatologist. Even more alarming is the fact that 13 states are without a single pediatric rheumatologist. The report also found the number of American pediatric rheumatologists needs to be increased by 75 percent in order to keep up with demand.
Sacks says for those areas without an actual pediatric rheumatologist, resources such as telemedicine may provide the next best option for patient care. Telemedicine allows a specialist to advise primary care physicians about a patient's care over the phone, Internet or other means. Another option is accessing rheumatologists who generally treat adults with rheumatic diseases.
Sacks says their study has an important message for children with arthritis and their parents, "They are certainly not alone."
Arthritis Care and Research Magazine has published the CDC's findings in their December issue.
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