AROUND 12,000 children and teenagers suffer from a childhood form of arthritis called juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), a potentially crippling condition - and may lead to joint replacement surgery before the age of 20.

Fortunately, the outlook for these youngsters is much better than it was, and no longer automatically means life in a wheelchair. Better drug treatments and a deeper understanding of the condition has led to a much improved quality of life for many children with arthritis.

This is largely due to the work being carried out by the UK's fourth largest medical research charity the Arthritis Research Campaign (arc), which invests millions of pounds every year into improving the treatment and care of children with the condition.

Now, the charity has produced a brand new booklet called When Your Child Has Arthritis.To obtain a free copy of the booklet ring us on 0870 8505000, e-mail us at info@arc.org.uk or write to us at the address below:

BEV CHAPMAN,

Arthritis Research Campaign,

St Mary's Gate,

Chesterfield S41 7TD