Best Centre for Cataract in Children in Navi Mumbai
While cataracts are widely known as an age-related condition, they can also affect infants and children. Unlike adult cataracts which occur as the lens hardens and yellows over time, pediatric cataracts typically occur because the eye's natural lens did not form properly before birth, or due to protein abnormalities.
"Lens formation in the fetus is an intricate cellular ballet occurring in the 3rd to 4th month of pregnancy. Any disruption during this developmental window can result in a congenital cataract."
Why Do Children Get Cataracts?
Cataracts in children are categorized as:
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Congenital Cataracts: Present at birth. About 25% of the time, congenital cataracts are genetic or linked to chromosomal, metabolic, or hormonal abnormalities (e.g., Down syndrome). Another 25% are hereditary, meaning a parent also had a childhood cataract.
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Acquired Cataracts: Developing later in childhood. These can be caused by physical eye trauma, long-term steroid medication use, metabolic diseases like diabetes, chronic eye inflammation (uveitis), or radiation therapy.
Treatment & Critical Surgical Timing
Not all childhood cataracts require immediate surgery. If a cataract is small or off-center, a pediatric eye specialist may recommend conservative monitoring, dilation drops to allow light around the opacity, glasses, or patching the stronger eye to strengthen the cataractous eye.
* Critical Window: If a baby is born with a dense, visually significant cataract, surgery should ideally be performed within the first two months of life, and definitely by four months. Delays can lead to permanent vision loss because the brain fails to develop the pathways required to pay attention to that eye.
Intraocular Lens (IOL) Implantation in Children
Unlike adults, young children's eyes are growing aggressively, which makes IOL calculations complex. An infant's eye reacts more strongly to surgical trauma and plastic implants, which can cause post-operative inflammation.
However, with modern microsurgical developments, Utsav Eye Clinic specialists have successfully implanted IOLs in babies as young as 6 months of age. If an IOL is not suitable, we prescribe contact lenses or thick pediatric glasses temporarily, and plan IOL implantation when the child is older.
Why Pediatric Cataract Surgery is Unique
Adult cataract surgery is a routine daycare procedure with quick recovery. Pediatric cataract surgery is vastly different:
- General Anesthesia: Children require general anesthesia, meaning they must be asleep and follow fasting guidelines beforehand.
- Aggressive Healing Response: Children's eyes heal aggressively, necessitating long-term anti-inflammatory eye drop regimens.
- Visual Rehabilitation: Surgery is only the first step. Long-term post-operative care requires adjusting glasses powers, monitoring eye pressures, and sometimes patching to treat residual lazy eye.