What causes cataracts in children?
Some cataracts are present at birth (called congenital cataracts), and others develop during the first few months or years of life. Some cataracts are hereditary, and others due to metabolic or systemic abnormalities. In many cases, the cause is unknown. In the older child, cataracts are often related to injuries or ocular inflammation related to juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. How do we know if a cataract is there? Can the parents see it? Occasionally, parents may notice a ‘white colour’ in the centre of the baby’s eye or a ‘white dot’ in the pupil. Usually, though, a doctor diagnoses it. Hence, it is an important part of the examination that pediatricians perform on newborn babies and in their follow up visits. Why would this happen to my baby? It’s very rare for a baby to get a cataract, but it does happen. The difference is that in children, the lens clouds over because it didn’t form properly. In adults, a normal lens just gets old and hard and yellow and finally clouds over. Why m
