What is cataract?
Cataract is a clouding or opacity of the normally transparent lens inside the eye. Cataract is a common cause of poor vision in older adults, but it may also occur uncommonly in infants and children.
What causes cataract in children?
The child may either be born with cataract or may develop cataract early in life after birth. It may be caused due to some disease in mother during pregnancy or due to some problem with child's general health, or injury to the eye. Sometimes it may be hereditary, being passed to the child, usually from a parent who has the same problem. The ophthalmologist or pediatrician generally runs a few tests to find out the cause of cataract. In many cases, though, no cause may be found.
How to know if one's child has a cataract?
The child may have cataract in both the eyes or in only one eye. At birth, each child is examined by the pediatrician to rule out any congenital abnormality, including cataract. If the child has significant cataract in both the eyes, the family members can usually notice that the child does not see well. The child may not be able to recognize mother (normally recognizes by 2 months of age), may not respond to visual stimuli etc. Sometimes when it involves only one eye, it may be difficult to detect, as the child may be seeing normally. The cataract may make the black pupil of the eye look white or gray. Sometimes the eye with cataract may wander out of line causing squint, or may show a jiggling movement (nystagmus). Presence of nystagmus and squint are poor signs in cataract, as they may signify that vision may not return fully after surgery.
Note that the child may have poor vision due to other reasons also besides cataract. Moreover, cataract in child may be associated with other diseases of the eye as well. Therefore it is mandatory to see an ophthalmologist in case you notice the child has any of the above problems.
My child has a cataract. Would he be able to see?
It is very important to treat this condition as soon as possible to get the best results. Most children who are treated for cataract at the right time end up seeing well. Though there might be certain conditions in which the vision is low even with the best possible treatment. Your ophthalmologist will keep you informed about this.
Why is it important to treat childhood cataract early?
The presence of cataract in a child does not let the eye get proper visual stimulus to develop. This prevents the normal development of the eye, especially if the cataract is present in only one eye. This condition is known as amblyopia or lazy eye. Therefore it is important to treat this condition at the earliest to prevent and to treat amblyopia.
Cataract is a clouding or opacity of the normally transparent lens inside the eye. Cataract is a common cause of poor vision in older adults, but it may also occur uncommonly in infants and children.
What causes cataract in children?
The child may either be born with cataract or may develop cataract early in life after birth. It may be caused due to some disease in mother during pregnancy or due to some problem with child's general health, or injury to the eye. Sometimes it may be hereditary, being passed to the child, usually from a parent who has the same problem. The ophthalmologist or pediatrician generally runs a few tests to find out the cause of cataract. In many cases, though, no cause may be found.
How to know if one's child has a cataract?
The child may have cataract in both the eyes or in only one eye. At birth, each child is examined by the pediatrician to rule out any congenital abnormality, including cataract. If the child has significant cataract in both the eyes, the family members can usually notice that the child does not see well. The child may not be able to recognize mother (normally recognizes by 2 months of age), may not respond to visual stimuli etc. Sometimes when it involves only one eye, it may be difficult to detect, as the child may be seeing normally. The cataract may make the black pupil of the eye look white or gray. Sometimes the eye with cataract may wander out of line causing squint, or may show a jiggling movement (nystagmus). Presence of nystagmus and squint are poor signs in cataract, as they may signify that vision may not return fully after surgery.
Note that the child may have poor vision due to other reasons also besides cataract. Moreover, cataract in child may be associated with other diseases of the eye as well. Therefore it is mandatory to see an ophthalmologist in case you notice the child has any of the above problems.
My child has a cataract. Would he be able to see?
It is very important to treat this condition as soon as possible to get the best results. Most children who are treated for cataract at the right time end up seeing well. Though there might be certain conditions in which the vision is low even with the best possible treatment. Your ophthalmologist will keep you informed about this.
Why is it important to treat childhood cataract early?
The presence of cataract in a child does not let the eye get proper visual stimulus to develop. This prevents the normal development of the eye, especially if the cataract is present in only one eye. This condition is known as amblyopia or lazy eye. Therefore it is important to treat this condition at the earliest to prevent and to treat amblyopia.
