Why babies are born with cataracts – Ophthalmologists

Eye experts have provided explanations for why cataracts might develop in newborns or be present from birth.

Although there are other causes of congenital cataracts in infants, the ophthalmologists stated that pregnant women with uncontrolled diabetes and other metabolic illnesses may give birth to newborns with cataracts.

According to the experts, expecting women should receive quality prenatal care to lower the chance of pregnancy issues that could harm their unborn child's eyes.

In addition to diabetes during pregnancy, the ophthalmologists revealed that several diseases during pregnancy, such as rubella (German measles), might cause a woman to give birth to a kid with cataracts. They also advised adolescent girls to get vaccinated against rubella.

They warned that an eye injury could result in cataracts in youngsters, noting that cataracts can be congenital (born) or acquired after birth.

But according to the doctors who participated in an exclusive interview, not all cataracts in infants and kids have a known etiology.

The World Health Organization emphasizes that cataracts are the most prevalent cause of blindness and visual impairment, frequently linked to age. They define a cataract as a clouding of the lens in the eye that typically affects vision.

"On occasion, children are born with the condition, or a cataract may develop after an eye injury, or as a result of inflammation or other conditions, such as glaucoma and diabetes," the global health authority stated. Occasionally, the use of steroids is connected to the development of cataracts or it may develop after exposure to some types of radiation.”

A pediatric ophthalmologist named Dr. Halima Alimi told our correspondent that some childhood cataracts may also run in families and that surgery would be an appropriate treatment for youngsters with severe cataracts.

In order to identify the condition early before it has a detrimental effect on the child's overall growth and development, the eye specialist, who serves as the Executive Director of the Restore Foundation for Child Sight, a non-governmental organization that promotes better eye care for kids, advised parents to make sure their infants get regular eye exams after six months of birth.

Alimi provided an explanation of why children get cataracts much like adults do, saying, "There are a number of factors that might impair a child's eye's lens clarity, which is why we have stated that it can be congenital or acquired."

Children whose mothers have certain illnesses during pregnancy—known as intrauterine infections—are among the hereditary causes of cataracts. Pregnant women might suffer a variety of illnesses, the most of which are caused by viruses. Something called rubella is at the top of the list. The measles is German.

“It is a sort of measles but a little bit different from the popular measles that is known. It is caused by the rubella virus. So when a pregnant woman is affected by German measles, the virus will go ahead to cross the placenta and infect the baby depending on the stage of the pregnancy at which it infects the baby.

“ If it is in the early stage of the pregnancy when the eyes are still developing, it can cause congenital cataracts as well as other problems that the child may be born with.

“This is one of the most common causes of infective cataracts in children born with it. And then also children whose mothers have certain metabolic diseases such as uncontrolled diabetes, the children themselves if they are born diabetic and other metabolic diseases, can cause cataracts as well. “

Cataracts are one of the main causes of vision impairment and blindness in children, according to Sightsavers, an international non-governmental organization that collaborates with partners in impoverished nations to cure and prevent preventable blindness.

Alimi also noted that there are other more, acquired, rather than congenital, causes of cataracts in children.

such as injuries. Children can sustain moderate to severe eye injuries, as we all know. Therefore, cataracts may develop simply from an injury if it is severe enough. Cataracts in one eye in youngsters are caused by injury. If left untreated, inflammation in the eye can cause cataracts in children. We discourage self-medication because of this," she stated.

The ophthalmologist added that youngsters can develop cataracts as a result of indiscriminate steroid use and genetically related disorders.

Alimi urged patients to develop the practice of routine and yearly eye exams for their children, citing delayed milestones like sitting, social smiling, walking, and standing as some of the early indicators of cataracts in children.

She claims that some of the symptoms of cataracts in youngsters include squinting in bright light, a white dot inside the eye, aberrant eye movement, difficulty focusing when staring, and squinting the eyelids in sunshine.

Speaking about the procedure, the eye doctor stated that severe cataracts are surgically repaired, and that following the procedure, children's eyesight rehabilitation will allow them to know how to use their spectacles and how to maintain good eyesight.

She stated that vaccination during pregnancy, the best prenatal care, injury prevention, substance abstinence, and rubella vaccine for adolescent girls could all help prevent cataracts in children.

According to Dr. Folasade Fasina, a consultant ophthalmic surgeon, cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in Nigeria.

According to the ophthalmologist, cataracts are treated by removing the hazy lens and replacing it with a clear artificial lens.

She emphasized that surgery is the only way to remove it.

"There are different removal techniques, but they are all surgical," Fasina clarified.

When an eye professional performs examinations and tests on a patient who complains of impaired vision, a diagnosis is made.

"An ophthalmologist treats cataracts by operating on the eye. Prescription glasses can help with vision when the cataract is still minor, but surgery is the only effective treatment.

Danish researchers found that moms with diabetes before or during pregnancy have a higher chance of having children who later experience eye issues in a 2021 study that was published in ScienceDaily.

The researchers examined the relationships between high refractive error—a condition in which the eye fails to focus pictures on the retina—and maternal diabetes before or during pregnancy.

They suggest that preserving the health of the eyesight of children whose moms have diabetes may be significantly aided by early screening for eye conditions.