Cataracts in Babies Could Cause Permanent Vision Loss; Treatment Must Be Prompt
A specialist ophthalmologist and Head of the Research and Medical Training Division at JEC Group, Nina Asrini Noor, says that cataracts in children or babies must be treated promptly to prevent vision impairment and impact on a child’s growth and development.
‘For babies, surgery should be as early as possible. Even if the timing is still within months, it must be operated on, because if left untreated, the long-term effects mean we would regret their future,’ Nina told Media Indonesia on Thursday (21 May).
‘Even if still a baby, even if it’s within one month or two months, if there are indications for cataract surgery, we will carry out cataract surgery,’ she added.
She emphasised that cataracts in children are very dangerous and thus treatment must be immediate. One cause of cataracts is genetic factors that can be sporadic or can occur in anyone.
‘So in children, toddlers, or babies, it means there is indeed a genetic factor where the development of their eyes from the outset is not perfect, resulting in a lens that is not clear,’ she said.
The genetic factor Nina refers to does not necessarily come from the parents. The genetic factor can occur in anyone because it is influenced during pregnancy, diet, and so forth.
‘The principle of management is the same: cataracts must be removed because it is more dangerous if in children or even babies; if vision is blocked from the outset by a cataract, the eye may never be able to see,’ she explained.
Therefore treatment for cataracts in children cannot wait. If left too late, vision may not recover as in others. Therefore urgency is much greater for children or babies.
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This condition can be triggered by genetic factors, infections during pregnancy such as rubella, or metabolic disorders.