juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
What JIV Can Lead To
JIV or juvenile idiopathic arthritis is arthritis that develops in children. It is an autoimmune disease meaning that the immune system is attacking itself.
Arthritis of any kind causes joint swelling due to inflammation and joint stiffness so a child with JIV will experience this. It can affect multiple joints at a time in children 16 and younger. Though children can outgrow this arthritis, if developed, they will experience problems with their bone development.
It can also lead to slow growth, eye inflammation, constant joint pain, struggles with weight gain, psoriatic arthritis, worsening arthritis or even issues with the kidney, heart and endocrine system later on down the line.
Even if you aren’t outright feeding your child whole milk in a bottle, giving them whole milk in their cereal or feeding them dairy often can lead to these medical issues as well.
RELATED: Got Milk…Issues? Here Are 4 Dairy Alternatives!
Better Alternatives That Get The Job Done
For infants, you should be giving them breast milk and or formula. For children 12 months and older, if they do not have an intolerance to lactose, then giving them other forms of cow milk such as skim, reduced fat, low fat and lactose-free milk every so often can be beneficial in the prevention of growth development risk, and the risk of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Using different forms of milk such as soy, almond, oat milk, and other forms of plant milk can get the job done as well. Usually, they have more nutrients that will aid in the development of children and even help you as an adult with your health.
You always want the best and want to protect your child, so starting with what they consume can help you do just that.