Index
- What is congenital cataract?
- Prognosis of the disease
- Symptoms
- Diagnosis of congenital cataract
- Causes
- Prevention
- Treatments
- Congenital cataract specialists
What is congenital cataract?
Congenital or infantile cataract is a type of cataract that appears in children under one year of age.
Prognosis of the disease
Cataracts are progressive and without treatment most patients will develop severe visual impairment.
Symptoms of congenital cataracts
Congenital cataracts often look different than other forms of cataracts.
Symptoms may include:
- An infant seems visually unaware of the world around him or her (if cataracts are present in both eyes).
- Gray or white clouding of the pupil (which is normally black).
- In pictures, the brightness of the pupil of the “red eye” is missing or different in both eyes.
- Unusual rapid eye movements (nystagmus).
Medical tests for congenital cataract
When a baby is born, an initial eye examination is performed to rule out cataract and other congenital vision abnormalities.
What are the causes of congenital cataract?
The cause is usually unknown, but it is sometimes associated with metabolic diseases, Down syndrome and infectious diseases during pregnancy, among others.
Can it be prevented?
Hereditary cataracts or those that have their origin due to other associated ocular pathologies cannot be prevented. Ophthalmologic check-ups are also of great importance. The first weeks of life the child develops its visual capacity correctly and an early detection is key to be able to apply a corrective treatment in time. For this reason, it is recommended a
Treatments for congenital cataract
When a congenital cataract is detected, the only treatment available would be to perform surgery as soon as possible to remove the opaque contents of the infant’s or child’s lens.
What specialist treats it?
Ophthalmology specialists are the ones who treat cataracts.