ABSTRACT
Objective: To evaluate the growth pattern in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and its subtypes in comparison with age, sex and temporally matched controls. Study design: Prospective study. Setting: Pediatric rheumatology clinic of a tertiary care hospital in Eastern part of India. Participants: Seventy-five children (2-12 years) diagnosed as juvenile idiopathic erthritis by International League of Associations for Rheumatology criteria and 75 age- and sex- matched controls. Intervention: Weight, height and body mass index were recorded at six monthly interval in both groups over a period of 3 years. Main outcome measures: weight, height and body mass index. Results: Subtype distribution of juvenile idiopathic arthritis was: oligoarthritis (49%, n=37), rheumatoid factor negative polyarthritis (27%, n=20), rheumatoid factor positive polyarthritis (8%, n=6), systemic onset (15%, n=11) and enthesitis related arthritis (1.3%, n=1). Anthropometric parameters in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis were not significant different from controls. Comparison between the subtypes showed significant differences in height (P=0.011), weight (P=0.005), and growth velocity (P=0.005), but not in body mass index. Systemic onset disease led to significant restriction in height (P=0.018; 95% CI 2.13-33.77) and weight (P=0.008; 95% CI 1.47-14.43) compared to controls. Growth velocity was significantly affected in rheumatoid factor positive polyarthritis (P=0.003; 95% CIO. 46-3.14). Conclusions: Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis do not have significantly lower values of anthropometric parameters compared to controls. Significant restriction in height and weight is seen in systemic onset disease, and growth velocity is significantly reduced in rheumatoid factor positive subjects.