As Regnier1 points out, cataracts in babies, whether present at birth or formed during infancy, should be called developmental rather than congenital, because the development of the lens in the human eye proceeds steadily, without any particular change in progress at the time of birth.
Who develops cataract?
Depending upon its size and location, it can interfere with normal vision. Most cataracts develop in people over age 55, but they occasionally occur in infants and young children or as a result of trauma or medications. Usually, cataracts develop in both eyes, but one may be worse than the other.
What are the causes of developmental cataract?
What causes cataracts in children?
- a genetic fault inherited from the child's parents that caused the lens to develop abnormally.
- certain genetic conditions, including Down's syndrome.
- certain infections picked up by the mother during pregnancy, including rubella and chickenpox.
- an injury to the eye after birth.
