Parental Perception of Dietary Intervention in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

Objectives

To evaluate the prevalence of special diet adoption in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and parental perceptions of efficacy.

Design

An online survey was distributed over a year to nearly 20,000 individuals.

Results

Responses from 261 parents of patients with JIA were received. One of three (n = 79) had tried special diets, including gluten-free (66%), anti-inflammatory (41%), and lactose-free (25%). Overall, >50% of 79 parents reported that patients had improved pain or joint swelling.

Conclusions

Special diets have been trialed by a third of the patients, with over half reporting symptom improvement. A prospective, controlled trial is warranted to test the efficacy of a dietary approach to JIA.