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Cataract in children
What is a cataract in children?
Cataracts in children or newborns are basically a clouding or cloudiness of the lens of the eye, which is normally transparent in nature. Unlike adults, cataracts appear in the lens at birth, in the first weeks or months after birth.
How does cataract affect a child's vision?
When there is a cataract in the lens of the eye after birth or when it appears a few weeks after birth, it prevents light from entering the eye and thus leads to blindness at an early age and poor growth of the visual areas in the brain in the child. If cataracts are not treated immediately after birth or when discovered, it can lead to permanent blindness and other eye symptoms.
When and how are cataracts diagnosed in children?
Cataracts can be diagnosed immediately after birth or later. There can be a cataract in the lens of the eye in one or both eyes. The diagnosis is usually made during the child's growth test after birth or at the age of a few weeks. The mother sometimes notices that the pupil of the eye It looks white and not black. In this case, the lens is white and not transparent and we see that the pupil looks white and not black.\
What are the causes of cataracts in children?
The causes of cataracts in children can be hereditary, genetic, infectious diseases or part of a medical syndrome.
What is the treatment for cataracts in children?
The cataract that blocks vision should be removed as soon as possible and in the first weeks of the child's life, in order to allow normal vision to grow and develop. Cataracts in children are usually removed by surgery. The operation is performed under general anesthesia. During the operation, the cataract is completely removed along with the natural lens. The decision to implant an artificial lens in the eye instead of the normal lens during the operation depends on the child's age.
Why is it important to perform the operation early?
When a child suffers from cataracts, it is important to perform the operation as early as possible, because the first months are necessary for the development and growth of the visual areas in the brain. There is a critical period, usually up to 3 months, when the visual areas in the child's brain develop in response to a clear image coming from the eye. In an eye with cataracts, vision is blurred and distorted, and thus the eye transmits an unclear image to the brain, and thus the vision areas in the brain do not develop, leading to blindness, strabismus and lazy eye.
What are the options for preserving vision in children with cataracts who have undergone cataract surgery?
Children who have undergone the operation and are treated early and within weeks of diagnosis have a very high success rate. If the condition is not treated, it leads to blindness.