Rheumatology for Children

Pediatric autoimmune and inflammatory conditions require accurate diagnosis and early intervention by experts trained specifically to care for children and adolescents. Oklahoma Children’s OU Health has board-certified/board-eligible pediatric rheumatologists and a team specialized in caring for infants, children, teens, and young adults with complex systemic autoimmune and autoinflammatory conditions.

If your child has any of the following, talk with your doctor about a referral to a pediatric rheumatologist at Oklahoma Children's in Oklahoma City.

• Persistent or recurrent joint swelling unrelated to injury
• Joint inflammation with morning stiffness or limited motion
• Unexplained, prolonged fevers not due to infections
• Rashes worsened by sunlight, especially if accompanied by fatigue or abnormal blood tests
• Unexplained muscle weakness
• Evidence of multisystem inflammation (e.g., abnormal labs, unexplained weight loss)

Symptoms of Rheumatic Disorders in Children

Although many autoimmune and autoinflammatory disorders share the same symptoms — which makes proper diagnosis a challenge — you can rely on Oklahoma Children’s pediatric rheumatologists to thoroughly evaluate immune system conditions and provide care and treatment that fits your child’s specific situation.

Children’s Inflammatory Conditions

Your pediatric rheumatologist understands the special needs of growing bodies and how your child’s health can be affected by inflammatory and immune system conditions such as:

• Vasculitis – Inflammation of blood vessels that can affect blood flow
• Juvenile Dermatomyositis – Muscle disease involving inflammation and skin rash
• Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (includes Oligoarticular JIA, Polyarticular JIA, Spondyloarthritis, and Psoriatic Arthritis) – Chronic joint inflammation leading to pain and swelling
• Lupus – Multisystem inflammatory disease often affecting the skin, joints, and kidneys
• Periodic fever syndromes/systemic autoinflammatory diseases (SAIDs), Familial Mediterranean fever and others
• Scleroderma – Abnormal growth and hardening of the skin and tissues inside the body

Treatments & Services for Children’s Autoimmune Disorders

At Oklahoma Children’s, you’ll work with our dedicated pediatric rheumatology specialists to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of your child’s health and develop an individualized treatment plan that addresses your child’s specific situation.

Your Child Benefits from Multidisciplinary Care

Autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases can affect nearly any part of a child’s body. At Oklahoma Children's, we collaborate closely with physicians from multiple pediatric specialties including (but not limited to) nephrology, hematology, adolescent medicine, pulmonology, cardiology, and genetics to ensure that your child receives the best care.