Cataracts are generally a problem of age. However, older people aren't the only people who can have cataracts. Children, even babies, can end up with cataracts. This article will tell you more about why a child might develop cataracts and how you can recognize the problem.
What Are Cataracts?
The eye are made up of several parts. They include the iris, the pupil, the retina, and the lens. The lens is located behind several other parts of the eye. It helps to focus light into the optic nerve so that a person can see well. A cataract is a problem with the lens. It is usually a thickening and clouding of the lens. That means that light doesn't penetrate the eye well, and the clouding will eventually make the child blind.
What Are the Causes of Childhood Cataracts?
There are two basic causes of cataracts in a child. One is congenital and the other is trauma.
Congenital
Congenital means that the child is born with it or with the tendency or possibility of it. In fact, some children with congenital cataracts may have developed them before they were even born, otherwise the cataracts will start to develop shortly after birth.
Trauma
Trauma means an injury. Injuries can cause cataracts in children. They won't cause cataracts in every case, most children who suffer some injury to the eye will not develop any kind of cataract, but it can happen.
What Are the Signs That a Child Has a Cataract?
Babies can't tell anyone that they can't see well. That means that it can be hard for a parent to tell that their child has a problem until the clouded lens becomes very obvious. Some of the signs that a baby has problems seeing will be that they aren't attracted to bright or colorful objects and that they don't track faces. A baby should be attracted the objects that that are bright when the object is in their field of vision. The infant should also be able to track faces, especially their parents' faces.
Older children may be able to tell their parent when they can't see as well as they used to. However, they may not be able to, especially toddlers and young children. Signs can include the child missing obvious things that they should be able to see. They may have to get closer to a television to see it, or bring books or toys closer to their face to try to see.
If a child does have a cataract, parents do have options, including getting a surgery to clear up the cataract. If you're concerned that your child may have cataracts or other eye problems, contact a local clinic like The Eye Center.
Share26 February 2015
Having a daughter comes with a number of challenges. One challenge that you will one day need to tackle is determining when to introduce your daughter to the gynecologist. Do you take your daughter to the same gynecologist that you see or take her somewhere else? Do you wait until she gets her first period or do you take her in to learn about the menstrual cycle from the doctor? There is a long list of questions you likely have about introducing your daughter to the world of gynecology. Having gone through this twice myself, I have learned quite a bit and have included a lot of helpful information in my site to help other parents get through this complicated time a little easier.
