Cataracts
in Children
A
cataract is a clouding of the eye's normally clear lens. The lens of the eye
plays an important role in focusing images on the retina, the light-sensitive
nerve cells lining the back of the eye. If the lens loses its clarity, light
rays do not focus clearly and vision is blurry. Just as it is hard to see
through a dirty window, it is hard to see through a cataract. Although most
cataracts occur in older adults, they can appear in children, in one or both
eyes, often at birth. They look like a white or gray spot in the pupil.
Cataracts
in children may be inherited or develop because of an infection or a disease
acquired before birth, or as a result of an injury. In most cases, no specific
cause is found.
Children
may lose vision permanently because of amblyopia (lazy eye) if a severe cataract
is not removed quickly. The better eye may also need to be patched. Mild
cataracts may not need treatment.
The
focusing power of the original lens, removed during cataract surgery, must be
replaced to restore vision. Intraocular lenses (IOLs), permanent plastic lenses
placed inside the eye, are implanted in older children much as they are in
adults. In infants, IOLs are controversial because the eyes grow and change
their prescriptions during the first few years of life. Many surgeons prefer
contact lenses or even glasses for younger children.
Regardless
of the type of correction, children need follow-up exams to avoid possible
complications, including glaucoma, scar tissue forming in the pupil, and
amblyopia. Often, children will need eye muscle surgery because the eye turns or
crosses.