Congenital Cataracts

A congenital cataract is a birth defect of the eye that does not occur frequently. The lens of the eye will be cloudy and is present at birth.

Babies that are born with cataracts may also have other disorders such as, Down syndrome, Trisomy 13, Lowe syndrome, ectodermal dysplasia syndrome, rubella, Pierre Robin syndrome or others. An infant will generally have obviously cloudy lens with a whitish colored pupil that can be seen with the naked eye of a viewer.

Babies will generally have abnormal rapid eye movements, but will not show visual interest in their surroundings. An opthalmologist will do an eye exam to diagnose the condition and treatment will be decided based on the severity.

Some cases do not require any treatment, while others require eye patching or surgery to place an artificial lens