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There has been speculation about what may have "triggered" JDM to occur in our children. There is thought that there is a genetic predisposition but also the doctors have said that they think there is something that triggers the immune system to respond the way it does. (Those statements are all in laymen's terms!) Triggers could be illness, stress, etc. Can you point to any specific 'trigger' that may have occurred in your child prior to your noticing the JM symptoms?

Possible triggers (Below is a compilation of responses. For full discussion, visit the Myositis Support Group JDM Discussion Board, click on Find and do a search for FSN Question of the Week (make sure you change the Posting Day Range to at least 180 days to get a good sample of responses):

• Immunizations: 9 (Broken down by 3 immunizations alone, 3 immunizations and birth of a sibling, 2 Prevnar vaccine)

• Illness: 7 (Broken down by 3 Respiratory infections, 2 strep throat, 1 hand foot mouth disease, 1 bug bite, 1 runny nose/cold symptoms, 1 mononucleosis, 1 virus)

• Sun Exposure: 4 (Broken down by 2 direct sun exposure, 1 sun & sulpha drugs, 1 sun URI & stress)

• Environmental Hazards: 1

• Environmental Change: 1

• Stress: 1 (birth of sibling)

• Unsure: 1