“My nephew is 7 years old and has been diagnosed with cataract. What should we do?”
My nephew is 7 years old and has been diagnosed with cataract. Is cataract possible in such small children? What does treatment consist of for such a young age?
10 Answers
Congenital cataracts can cloud the vision of a child but it all depends on the severity of them. Often, it is just a remnant from a blood vessel while they were in the womb and never completely disintegrates. If the doctor didn’t recommend any treatment it must be because it doesn’t need to be treated. If the cataract is obscuring the visión the doctor will recommend to remove it to prevent having amblyopia which is Aldo called “lazy eye “. .
You should seek out a couple opinions from different pediatric ophthalmologists in regard to best treatment.
A cataract is the clouding of the eye's natural lens. Cataracts can be congenital (the child is born with it), acquired (the child acquires it from something) or senile (seen in older people). Kids can have a congenital or acquired cataract. If the cataract is interfering with vision, then the cataract specialist will remove the lens and replace it with a lens implant in order to prevent poor vision that eye.
Some cataracts at such a young age could affect the potential for full visual development. It would be best to seek the advice of a pediatric cataract surgeon.
Dr. Lior Koppel
Dr. Lior Koppel
Yes, congenital cataract is very quite common. Either the child lives with it or gets it surgically removed depending on the severity and effect on vision.
Yes, you can be born with cataracts. If the vision is being blocked or decreased, cataract removal surgery is done so that vision can develop normally. Typically, vision is corrected with a contact lens (yes, babies can wear contacts when medically necessary) or glasses. Once the eye grows to the proper size, a lens implant is inserted.
Childhood cataract may have been of congenital origin. If it is of new onset he should be checked for juvenile TYPE I diabetes. The cataract should be removed to prevent or aid in the correction of any lazy eye( Amblyopia) that may have developed. Whether corrected by a pseudophakic plastic lens implanted where the cataract was removed or a contact lens, correction after cataract removal is critical for binocularity, depth perception and full visual acuity ( clarity)as an adult.
Age related cataract (nuclear sclerotic) is commonly caused by sun damage. This differs from other common types of cataract: posterior/anterior subcapsular, cortical, and congenital cataracts. Congenital cataract is present from birth and is important to perform cataract surgery; otherwise, the child may have vision deprivation in that eye resulting in reduced visual acuity over the life of the patient. In other words, the macula is starved of visual stimulus; therefore, it doesn't develop properly during this critical age.
Remove the cataract and start the child on contact lenses. Daily contact applied and removed every day by the parents until patient is old enough 21-23 to get a permanent implant
Philip Michael Taunton
Optometrist
Cataract surgery with a lens implant as soon as convenient!
