What is congenital cataract?

A congenital cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye that is present at birth. The lens of the eye is normally clear. It focuses light that comes into the eye onto the retina.

What is the most common cause of congenital cataract?

Congenital Cataracts: Causes Congenital cataracts also can occur when, during pregnancy, the mother develops infections such as measles or rubella (the most common cause), rubeola, chicken pox, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, poliomyelitis, influenza, Epstein-Barr virus, syphilis and toxoplasmosis.

What is the reason of congenital cataract?

The most common infections that cause congenital cataracts include: chickenpox. cytomegalovirus. herpes.

Is congenital cataract curable?

Congenital cataract are one of the most common treatable causes of visual impairment and blindness during infancy, with an estimated prevalence of 1 to 6 cases per 10,000 live births.

Is congenital cataract surgery safe?

Cataract surgery is generally successful, with a low risk of serious complications. The most common risk associated with cataract surgery is a condition that can affect artificial lens implants called posterior capsule opacification (PCO), which causes cloudy vision to return.

How many congenital cataracts are linked to genetic causes?

Hereditary cataracts are estimated to account for between 8.3% and 25%of congenital cataracts. The lens alone may be involved, or lens opacities may be associated with other ocular anomalies, such as microphthalmia, aniridia, other anterior chamber developmental anomalies, or retinal degenerations.

Can congenital cataract lead to blindness?

Very dense cataracts can cause blindness in babies if left untreated, or if treated too late. An ophthalmologist (eye surgeon) will check your child’s eyes and vision and be able to tell you how much the cataract is affecting your child’s vision.

Can you go blind from a cataract?

Over time, cataracts become worse and start to interfere with vision. Important skills can be affected, such as driving, and loss of vision can affect the overall quality of life in many ways including reading, working, hobbies and sports. If left untreated, cataracts will eventually cause total blindness.

What does it mean to have a congenital cataract?

Congenital cataract. Congenital cataracts refers to a lens opacity present at birth. Congenital cataracts cover a broad spectrum of severity: whereas some lens opacities do not progress and are visually insignificant, others can produce profound visual impairment. Congenital cataracts may be unilateral or bilateral.

Are there any laboratory tests for congenital cataracts?

Laboratory Tests : In contrast to unilateral cataracts, bilateral congenital cataracts may be associated with many systemic and metabolic diseases. A basic laboratory evaluation for bilateral cataracts of unknown cause in apparently healthy children includes:

What are the causes of infantile cataracts in children?

Consequently, the effect on vision, course of treatment and prognosis may also be widely variable. The causes of infantile cataracts have been the source of much speculation and research.

What happens when a baby has bilateral cataract?

Bilateral cataracts in an infant due to congenital rubella syndrome. Congenital cataracts refers to a lens opacity which is present at birth. Congenital cataracts cover a broad spectrum of severity: whereas some lens opacities do not progress and are visually insignificant, others can produce profound visual impairment.