Ravina Sewani

Babies and children can also get cataract just like adults. A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of your child’s eye. If it’s large or dense, it can cause blurry or even blocked vision. Your child may get a cataract in one or both the eyes. Causes:Congenital cataract (cataract by birth) is caused by a chromosomal problem like Down syndrome. They might also be due to hereditary, metabolic problems, diabetes, trauma, inflammation, drug reactions, or if the mother develops any infection during pregnancy.If the child develops cataract later in life, the possible causes include:<ul><li>Eye injury</li><li>Diabetes</li><li>Complications from eye problems</li><li>Radiation treatment</li><li>Steroids</li></ul> Symptoms:<ul><li>Poor vision – you may notice your child has difficulty recognising and following objects or people with their eyes</li><li>Rapid uncontrolled eye movements or "wobbling" eyes</li><li>The eyes pointing in different directions – known as a squint</li><li>A white or grey pupil</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>Congenital cataracts are diagnosed when the doctors conduct the newborn exam after a baby is born. You can’t always see cataracts. But when you can, they usually look like a white or grey spot or reflection inside the pupil. It’s important to get your child’s vision checked regularly. The earlier you find cataracts, the better your child’s eyesight will be in the long term. The first vision screening takes place when your child is a newborn.</li><li>Pay attention when your child complains about ANY kind of vision problem and get them checked as soon as possible. Keep track of the vision development milestones of your child and seek your child’s doctor’s assistance for the same.</li></ul> Treatment:<ul><li>The only treatment for cataracts is for a child to undergo a surgery to remove them. Your child’s doctor will give your child a general anaesthesia, so (s)he won’t be awake or feel anything during the operation.</li><li>After the surgery, the doctor usually advises to wear eyeglasses for a few days and will prescribe eye drops for your child.</li></ul>

Here are Cataract Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

Cataract in children

Blindness

Eyestrain

squint eye

dry eye

eye watering

headache

conjunctivitis

Cataract

can children get cataract

Read the article to understand about what can be done if a child has cataract.

Cataract in children

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