Infections during the first year of life are a marker of increased risk of developing specific types of arthritis later in life, according to new research from Sweden presented today at EULAR 2008, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Paris, France.

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that strikes children between the ages of newborn to 16 years. All children with JRA have joint pain, stiffness, and swelling and some also have fever and skin rashes. JRA can impede growth, damage joints, and lead to disability in adulthood.