To start this discussion it is worth highlighting that juvenile arthritis is not considered a life threatening condition. There are some preliminary data indicating that children with juvenile may have a higher risk of death as an adult.1 2 The research indicates that juvenile arthritis condition itself did not cause death amongst the adults in these studies. Instead, it is believed that children who are susceptible to juvenile arthritis are also susceptible to other autoimmune conditions as an adult.1 2

It is worth noting that these investigations are not necessarily conclusive across the population. It is also worth highlighting that the risk of death remains low amongst people who did have juvenile arthritis. Although the risk of death remained low, it was higher than one might expect for a general population of a similar age. Ongoing improvement in treatments for adult autoimmune conditions may reduce this risk of complications in the future.