Can children get cataracts?

Cataract patients are generally elderly people, but children can also get cataracts. The reasons are the side effects of medications taken by the mother during pregnancy, as well as congenital genetic diseases. Cataracts are clouding of the lens that changes the way light reaches the retina, causing decreased vision. So, can cataracts be cured in such a young child? The health of children’s eyes affects their entire life. The following are recommended methods for treating cataracts, I hope they will be helpful to your children.

Congenital cataracts can cause serious visual impairment. According to statistics, about 30% of blind children suffer from congenital cataracts. Although congenital cataracts can cause serious damage to vision, not all congenital cataracts can cause blindness. When only a small part of the lens becomes cloudy and the cataract is located in the peripheral part of the lens, it has little effect on the visual development of children and is often not noticed. Most of the time, it is discovered during a physical examination when the child grows up.

Children with congenital cataracts often have very poor vision. If you find that your child cannot focus; his eyes cannot follow the light; he cannot grasp objects in front of him; or even his pupils are white, you should take him to the hospital's ophthalmology department as soon as possible to check whether he has congenital cataracts, so as not to affect the development of his vision. Congenital cataracts are somewhat preventable.

Prevention methods include eliminating bad habits (such as smoking and drinking) in the first three months of pregnancy; avoiding colds, reducing the chance of viral infection, and avoiding medication as much as possible.

If there is a family history of cataracts, amniocentesis can be performed in the second trimester of pregnancy. If the fetus is found to carry a dominant cataract gene, the pregnancy can be terminated. In addition, the mother should pay attention to nutrition during pregnancy and supplement vitamins and calcium. Congenital cataracts usually exist at birth, and drug treatment for congenital cataracts is ineffective. Some congenital cataracts are static and have little effect on visual development. Such cataracts should be observed regularly to prevent the occurrence of amblyopia and do not require treatment. If congenital cataracts are severe and affect vision, surgery should be performed as early as possible to improve and develop vision.

Whether children are born with cataracts or they are acquired, they can be cured through surgery or long-term medication and physical therapy, but the healing process takes a long time. Cataracts can cause a lot of trouble for children in their lives, so it is recommended that parents conduct regular physical examinations during their children's growth stage.