Does lupus affect children differently than adults?

When people refer to lupus, they typically mean systemic lupus, which is the most common form. Although children and older people can get lupus, it characteristically occurs in women aged 15 to 44. For this form of lupus, symptoms are the same no matter the age. There is another form of lupus called neonatal lupus, which can occur in the newborns of women with systemic lupus. A newborn with neonatal lupus will have a rash, abnormal blood count, and liver problems. This disease typically disappears after a few months.