# Cataract in Children and Infant

Source page: https://www.kudretgozistanbul.com/en/treatments/cataract-in-children-and-infant

**Author:** Kudret Eye İstanbul | **Medical Approval:** Op. Dr. Nail Sönmez | **Date:** 2026-09-08

> **Summary:** Cataract in children and babies is clouding of the eye's lens, present from birth or developing in early childhood. The only treatment is surgery, done early after diagnosis because a clouded lens stops visual development and can cause lasting vision loss.

## Quick Facts
- **Treatment:** surgery only; differs from adult cataract surgery
- **Intraocular lens:** usually not placed under 2 years of age (implanted later in a second operation); can be inserted in children over 2
- **Timing:** usually within the first few months after birth, depending on type and severity
- **Follow-up:** continues for many years
- **Price:** set after examination, by age, extent of the operation and whether a lens is implanted

---

## What It Is
The normally clear lens becomes cloudy or opaque and vision deteriorates. It may be present from birth or develop in early childhood. Congenital cataract is rare but an important cause of childhood vision loss.

## Symptoms
- White or blurred appearance in the eyes
- Eye shift (strabismus)
- Unstable or decreased vision
- Hazy vision
- Sensitivity to light
- Inability to follow surrounding objects

## Causes
- Medicines used by the mother during pregnancy
- Maternal diseases during pregnancy such as rubella or toxoplasmosis
- Radiation exposure in the womb
- Genetic factors
- Genetic syndromes such as Down syndrome, Turner syndrome or Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome

## Why Early Surgery
Vision develops as a clear image reaches the brain; a clouded lens blocks it. While adults can sometimes wait, waiting in a baby can lead to vision loss that is hard to recover, including lazy eye (amblyopia). Timing depends on cataract density and whether one or both eyes are affected.

## Treatment
- The clouded lens is removed; it is replaced with an artificial lens or treated without a lens.
- Because lens power is hard to determine in young children, lenses are usually not placed under 2 years; the surgeon decides when to implant one later according to the child's development.

## Prices
Cost varies by person; a key factor is the type of intraocular lens. The price is set after examination according to the child's age, the extent of the operation and whether a lens is implanted.

## Risks and Possible Side Effects
- **Posterior capsule opacification (secondary cataract):** more common in children; cleared with a laser or a short procedure.
- **Rise in eye pressure:** can develop over the years; checked long-term and treated with drops if needed.
- **Inflammation:** may be more noticeable in the first weeks; controlled with drops.
- **Infection:** very rare; prevented with prescribed drops and hygiene.

---

## The Treatment Journey

### After Treatment
- Surgery alone does not complete vision; the brain must learn from the clear image.
- If one eye is affected, patching is often needed; hours and pattern are adjusted as the child grows.
- Focusing power is replaced with an intraocular lens, contact lens or glasses depending on age.
- The prescription changes as the eye grows; follow-up covers prescription, eye pressure and visual development for many years.

---

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: What happens if treatment is delayed?**
A: Lazy eye (amblyopia) may develop and vision may be permanently reduced.

**Q: When should cataract surgery be performed in infants?**
A: Usually within the first few months after birth, depending on type and severity; this is a critical period for visual development.

**Q: Can cataracts recur?**
A: No, the natural lens is removed. But months or years later a membrane can form behind the lens, more often in children; it can usually be cleared with a YAG laser in 1-2 minutes.

---

## References
- Childhood cataracts, NHS
- Cataracts in Children, Congenital and Acquired, EyeWiki (AAO)