Indore (Madhya Pradesh): For the first time, the National Conference on Paediatric Rheumatology (NCPR) 2025 was organised in city to spread awareness among doctors and the public about arthritis in children, a condition often overlooked due to lack of information.
This was the 23rd national conference on the subject, attended by over 250 doctors and experts from across India and abroad. The three-day event concluded on Sunday with a resolution to launch awareness campaigns about childhood arthritis with government support.
Secretary Dr Jyoti Sanghvi said that the disease exists in our population, but awareness remains very low. “Many children visit doctors repeatedly with joint pain and swelling, but due to misdiagnosis, treatment starts late. If childhood joint disease is not treated in time, it can lead to lifelong disability,” she said.
Over 120 paediatric rheumatologists and paediatricians participated in the conference. Dr Anand P Rao from Bengaluru highlighted that India has a severe shortage of paediatric rheumatologists. “Both parents and doctors need to be aware of this disease so that children can receive timely treatment and live pain-free childhoods. Currently, Madhya Pradesh has only one specialist and Chhattisgarh has none,” he said.
Experts noted that arthritis is not confined to the elderly even infants and young children can be affected. Continuous fever lasting more than six weeks, unresponsiveness to antibiotics, may indicate childhood arthritis. “Parents often change doctors multiple times when their child doesn’t improve, unaware that the underlying cause could be arthritis,” said Dr Deepti Suri, Chairperson of the Paediatric Rheumatology Society.
Symptoms parents should not ignore
Persistent fever without clear cause
Swelling and pain in joints
Repeated redness or irritation in eyes
Skin rashes or red patches
Hair loss and skin allergies
Fatigue and irritability
[Story by Staff Reporter]
