What are the early symptoms of cataracts in children?

Cataracts are a disease that mostly occur in the elderly. If cataract symptoms appear in children, most of them are congenital. Therefore, you should pay special attention to your eye habits and let your eyes get a good rest to avoid worsening of the disease. So what are the early symptoms of cataracts?

The symptoms of pediatric cataracts are mainly due to the cloudiness of the lens, which blocks external light from entering the eye, causing external images to be unable to appear clearly on the retina, affecting vision and visual function, and even affecting the development of the child's eyeball.

For newborns and preschool children, there is no way to express verbally the impact of cataracts on vision. Parents should pay more attention to their children's eye conditions and eye habits, whether the pupil reflex is white instead of black, whether the eyes are strabismic or slanted, whether there is nystagmus, inability to fixate on external objects and follow movements, etc. If there are any abnormalities, it is best to check as soon as possible.

If there is a family history of the disease, or the mother is exposed to risk factors (such as infection) during pregnancy, or the fetus is born prematurely and underweight, in these cases, the fetus should be carefully examined by a pediatrician and ophthalmologist after birth.

Diagnosis of pediatric cataracts requires a detailed eye examination, including the external eye, eye position, eye movement, and pupil dilation to examine the extent of the cataract and the condition of the retina and optic nerve. If the extent of the cataract prevents fundus examination, an eye ultrasound or visual evoked potential test is required to evaluate visual function.

Congenital cataracts are often symmetrical in both eyes. The pattern of lens opacity and location of lesions in both eyes are similar, and they are often accompanied by congenital malformations of the eye and the whole body. Therefore, examination by a pediatrician is necessary to detect abnormalities in other organs. In addition, medical history, such as family history, mother's pregnancy status, and laboratory tests of the newborn (such as viral serum tests, blood sugar, blood calcium and urine screening) may also be helpful in understanding the cause of cataracts.

The above article tells you in detail the early symptoms of cataracts in children. Many of the symptoms are due to the cloudiness of the lens, which makes it impossible for your child to see things clearly. There is a problem with the development of his eyeball. It is best to get checked as soon as possible so that there is a possibility of recovery.