Congenital Conditions: Understanding The 3 Common Conditions Found In Newborns

Among the numerous children’s eye problems, there can be ones acquired at birth due to genetics or other defects. Identifying these diseases at the earliest and treating them can help your child have normal vision with growth without facing unfortunate vision loss conditions. This article will look into three common congenital eye conditions that can be found in newborns for your reference.

What Are Congenital Eye Conditions?

These are a group of eye conditions that are present from birth. They can be passed through genes due to diseases or other deficiencies during pregnancy. The eye problems can affect the eyesight even lead to partial or complete blindness.

Most congenital eye conditions can be diagnosed at the early stages by having regular eye exams of the children. Early diagnosis by eye specialists can help avoid worsening the state and even have normal vision with immediate corrections.

Congenital Cataracts

A congenital cataract is the cloudiness of the eye lens that happens before birth. This can happen during the first year in certain babies. The condition can affect one or both eyes of the child. Depending on the cause and size, these can develop into eye conditions such as strabismus, amblyopia, glaucoma, or retinal detachment.

The condition can usually be diagnosed during the newborn eye exam. Surgery is generally performed within 6 to 8 weeks of age to remove the cloudy part. An artificial lens will replace the natural eye lens here.

Strabismus

This is another common eye condition in children that can acquire during birth. Here, the eyes do not align properly with each other when focusing on an object. Strabismus can lead to amblyopia or cause loss of depth perception over time. It occurs due to muscle dysfunction, trauma, problems in the brain, etc. Corrective eye surgery or patching the good eye is required depending on the severity of each condition. This will help the brain use the affected eye and make it work similar to that of the good one. It is essential to treat the situation as it can lead to permanent amblyopia if left untreated.

Congenital Glaucoma

This is a condition where the eye pressure of infants increases due to a congenital disability. Poor development of the eye’s angle results in abnormalities in fluid flow, increasing the eye pressure. The increased pressure damages the optic nerve of the eye, causing vision loss situations.

A comprehensive eye examination by your eye specialist is required to diagnose the condition. Photophobia, watery eyes, and keeping eyes closed is a few common symptoms that parents can notice in infants. Eye drops and medications are given to infants until the infants are ready to perform surgery. Early diagnosis can help to maintain the pressure without causing significant irreversible vision loss stages.

Make sure to take your child to a Pediatric Ophthalmologist Dubai and get regular comprehensive eye examinations for early treatments. If you have a history of chronic eye conditions, ensure to inform your doctor with details for a thorough inspection.

At Quironsalud, we have specialized pediatric ophthalmologists to work with infants and children. If your child is experiencing a vision issue, our professionals can help by conducting a comprehensive eye examination and provide viable treatment options. Contact us now for your child’s eye appointment.