Congenital cataract
July 21, 2010 9:09 AM Subscribe
Six week old baby girl may have a congenital cataract.
We took our six week old baby girl to the pediatrician today and he noticed a tiny speck right in the center of her right eye. He said it was a possible congenital cataract and booked us in to see a specialist next week. We are understandably very shaken. The speck is tiny, like a tiny speck of dust or the tiniest of pin pricks, probably the width of a hair. The doctor described it as a "slight haze" when he first saw it but said not to worry about it until we go to the specialist (yeah right). It is visible to the naked eye in bright light. I have done some reading online but would like to hear if anyone else has had a child with the same condition and what procedures were necessary.
In regards to her behaviour, she is very reactive to light and always points her head in the direction of light. Lately she has been following our movements by moving her head when we move from side to side. We have little spotlights on our ceiling and she seems to follow these when we carry her around the room.
We took our six week old baby girl to the pediatrician today and he noticed a tiny speck right in the center of her right eye. He said it was a possible congenital cataract and booked us in to see a specialist next week. We are understandably very shaken. The speck is tiny, like a tiny speck of dust or the tiniest of pin pricks, probably the width of a hair. The doctor described it as a "slight haze" when he first saw it but said not to worry about it until we go to the specialist (yeah right). It is visible to the naked eye in bright light. I have done some reading online but would like to hear if anyone else has had a child with the same condition and what procedures were necessary.
In regards to her behaviour, she is very reactive to light and always points her head in the direction of light. Lately she has been following our movements by moving her head when we move from side to side. We have little spotlights on our ceiling and she seems to follow these when we carry her around the room.
I don't know if this will happen to your baby, but my youngest daughter had the lens removed in her right eye due to a birth defect (different than yours). She's 21 now. She sees shadows and light on that side but not much else. Her eye gets lazy when she's tired, but other than that, there's no difference.
They operated at 12 months. It took about two months to recover. She doesn't remember a thing. Other than a couple of things - not seeing 3D and occasionally bumping into walls on her bad side when it's dark, her quality of life has been the same as anyone else.
posted by patheral at 9:56 AM on July 21, 2010
They operated at 12 months. It took about two months to recover. She doesn't remember a thing. Other than a couple of things - not seeing 3D and occasionally bumping into walls on her bad side when it's dark, her quality of life has been the same as anyone else.
posted by patheral at 9:56 AM on July 21, 2010
My brother had congenital cataracts in both eyes. They were operated on, I think when he was 10 and 12 years old.
He's had no long-term effects, and he's almost 30.
posted by dfriedman at 10:17 AM on July 21, 2010
He's had no long-term effects, and he's almost 30.
posted by dfriedman at 10:17 AM on July 21, 2010
My sister was born with a cataract in one eye. It seems to cover the exact center of the lens, but is mottled. Since it was apparent that her other eye worked perfectly, my parents and the doctor took a "wait and see" approach, so as to find out how much her vision was affected when she was actually verbal and could describe things.
As it turns out, despite being in the CENTER of her lens, she has 20/30 vision through the cataract. She has to wear sunglasses outside, so her vision isn't overloaded by glare. And it looks like she always has a twinkle in her eye!
posted by notsnot at 10:30 AM on July 21, 2010
As it turns out, despite being in the CENTER of her lens, she has 20/30 vision through the cataract. She has to wear sunglasses outside, so her vision isn't overloaded by glare. And it looks like she always has a twinkle in her eye!
posted by notsnot at 10:30 AM on July 21, 2010
Ganzhimself is probably stereoblind like patheral's daughter.
Suzan B. Ruth's Fixing my gaze has an interesting anecdote (page 56, click on "Look inside!" and search for cataract) about a woman who had a cataract removed when she was four, and only learned stereovision as an adult. Ruth also describes how her own stereoblindness impacted her reading, her driving, and all kind of things in her daily life, and her final discovery of stereovision.
If you have the surgery and vision therapy early, you and your daughter have excellent chances of being able to play pingpong and watch 3D movies together.
posted by stereo at 10:32 AM on July 21, 2010
Suzan B. Ruth's Fixing my gaze has an interesting anecdote (page 56, click on "Look inside!" and search for cataract) about a woman who had a cataract removed when she was four, and only learned stereovision as an adult. Ruth also describes how her own stereoblindness impacted her reading, her driving, and all kind of things in her daily life, and her final discovery of stereovision.
If you have the surgery and vision therapy early, you and your daughter have excellent chances of being able to play pingpong and watch 3D movies together.
posted by stereo at 10:32 AM on July 21, 2010
My husband is a pediatric ophthalmologist. Memail me!
posted by mothershock at 10:56 AM on July 21, 2010
posted by mothershock at 10:56 AM on July 21, 2010
Ganzhimself is probably stereoblind like patheral's daughter.
FYI, I have been stereoblind since birth (for a different reason) and its never really affected me other than I don't "get" 3D movies and still images. I played baseball, can park and drive just fine, can catch a ball, shoot target archery. Because I've been this way my entire life I its just the way the world is. I certainly wouldn't say it impacts me on anything like a daily -- or even weekly -- basis.
(I had a series of eye surgeries between the ages of 2 and 6, but it was for something different and it was back in the '70s, so that experience won't do you much good).
I will say this, though, as someone who grew up with a myriad of optical issues, including long stretches where I had zero vision in one eye: I know as a fellow parent its hard not to panic, but from a developmental standpoint you shouldn't worry right now. At that age, her eyesight isn't great anyhow. Despite my "handicap" (if you call it that) I hit all my developmental milestones for walking, running, etc, and I was an early reader. Her current visual behaviors sound right on target for her age. It is very likely that the impact of this on her overall life will be very slight.
Congrats on your baby!
posted by anastasiav at 11:03 AM on July 21, 2010
FYI, I have been stereoblind since birth (for a different reason) and its never really affected me other than I don't "get" 3D movies and still images. I played baseball, can park and drive just fine, can catch a ball, shoot target archery. Because I've been this way my entire life I its just the way the world is. I certainly wouldn't say it impacts me on anything like a daily -- or even weekly -- basis.
(I had a series of eye surgeries between the ages of 2 and 6, but it was for something different and it was back in the '70s, so that experience won't do you much good).
I will say this, though, as someone who grew up with a myriad of optical issues, including long stretches where I had zero vision in one eye: I know as a fellow parent its hard not to panic, but from a developmental standpoint you shouldn't worry right now. At that age, her eyesight isn't great anyhow. Despite my "handicap" (if you call it that) I hit all my developmental milestones for walking, running, etc, and I was an early reader. Her current visual behaviors sound right on target for her age. It is very likely that the impact of this on her overall life will be very slight.
Congrats on your baby!
posted by anastasiav at 11:03 AM on July 21, 2010
Even in an absolute worst case scenario, babies' brains are _incredibly_ flexible and if (god forbid) there were a real problem it won't be a liability for her in the long term. It wouldn't disorient her *anything* like it would if you or I lost some vision in an eye as an adult.
posted by pjaust at 11:11 AM on July 21, 2010
posted by pjaust at 11:11 AM on July 21, 2010
Nthing the sentiment that quality of life won't be affected.
I was born with congenital cataracts in 1974, they weren't discovered for quite a while and I didn't get cataract surgery until I was almost two. Back in the seventies, cataract surgery was still kind of uncommon and experimental and they waited two weeks between operating on one eye and operating on the other. Since babies' brains develop so rapidly, what happened was, I started seeing well out of the first eye they operated on and by the time they operated on my second eye, my brain had learned to ignore the signal from it, so consequently, even after years of childhood patching (covering the strong eye to force the use of the weak one) I'm effectively blind in one eye. But I think they know not to do that now.
And, even with vision in only one eye, I developed normally in pretty much every way, I can drive, etc. So like I said, no real quality of life issues.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 11:36 AM on July 21, 2010
I was born with congenital cataracts in 1974, they weren't discovered for quite a while and I didn't get cataract surgery until I was almost two. Back in the seventies, cataract surgery was still kind of uncommon and experimental and they waited two weeks between operating on one eye and operating on the other. Since babies' brains develop so rapidly, what happened was, I started seeing well out of the first eye they operated on and by the time they operated on my second eye, my brain had learned to ignore the signal from it, so consequently, even after years of childhood patching (covering the strong eye to force the use of the weak one) I'm effectively blind in one eye. But I think they know not to do that now.
And, even with vision in only one eye, I developed normally in pretty much every way, I can drive, etc. So like I said, no real quality of life issues.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 11:36 AM on July 21, 2010
Stereoblind
That's the word I was looking for. Anyway, nthing the get it done early and out of the way and she'll lead a perfectly normal life. The specalist will have the answers on the latest treatment and therapy options, so I think your new baby is going to be just fine.
posted by ganzhimself at 1:50 PM on July 21, 2010
That's the word I was looking for. Anyway, nthing the get it done early and out of the way and she'll lead a perfectly normal life. The specalist will have the answers on the latest treatment and therapy options, so I think your new baby is going to be just fine.
posted by ganzhimself at 1:50 PM on July 21, 2010
My father was an ophthalmologist and did a number of cataract surgeries which typically replaced the lens. He even got it himself when he got cataracts in both eyes late in life and was incredibly pleased with the results. The specialist will give you information based on what they see in your baby but I would say don't hit the panic button yet. They can do amazing things these days and I would bet that long term it won't bother her at all. If you can see a pediatric ophthalmologist for a second or third opinion, you really should. Good luck -- this has to be so stressful.
posted by amanda at 5:05 PM on July 21, 2010
posted by amanda at 5:05 PM on July 21, 2010
This is really late, but possibly still helpful.. I was born with congenital cataracts in both eyes, and was 17 when I had the lens of my right eye replaced. I'd had to wear glasses until then, because of difficulty reading small print or road signs, but the cataracts weren't actually too bothersome. Surgery helped my right eye a lot, and I now have 20/20 vision with it, but have to wear bifocals because it's a monofocal lens. Still, I wouldn't stress over it too much.
posted by cp311 at 1:31 PM on February 8, 2011
posted by cp311 at 1:31 PM on February 8, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ganzhimself at 9:30 AM on July 21, 2010