Cataracts form when the lens covering the eye becomes cloudy. Age-related cataracts are most common. However, congenital cataracts may occur due to prenatal disease, toxicity or hereditary and often accompany other syndromes. Older children may also develop cataracts. According to the website AllAboutvision.com, trauma is associated with 40 percent of the cases of cataracts in older children. Early detection and treatment is critical in order to prevent "lazy eye" from disuse, and other visual impairments.
Prenatal Infections and Toxins
Congenital cataracts are present at birth and are quite rare. They may be caused by the mother's exposure to infections or toxins during pregnancy. According to ophthalmologist David Yorston, cataracts may be caused by prenatal infections such as rubella, cytomegalovirus or syphilis. The authors of the AllAboutvision.com website report that the most common cause of congenital cataracts is maternal exposure to rubella, and that other prenatal infections that may cause congenital cataracts include chicken pox, rubeola, herpes simplex, poliomyelitis, Epstein-Barr virus and toxoplasmosis. Risk also increases with maternal exposure to drugs or other toxins, radiation, or if the mother suffers from a metabolic disease such as diabetes.
Genetic Factors
According to the website CataractSurgery.com, about one-third of infants with congenital cataracts have inherited the condition. Genes play a role when one considers that cataracts are associated with chromosomal disorders, such as Down's syndrome and Turner's syndrome, which cause developmental disabilities. According to the "Community Eye Health Journal," congenital cataracts are also associated with inherited disorders that affect the skeletal and muscular systems, central nervous system and skin.
Retinopathy of Prematurity
Cataracts are associated with the condition called retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). All preterm babies are at risk, but the shorter the gestation period and smaller the birth weight, the greater the risk that a baby will develop this disease. It is believed to be caused by abnormal growth of blood vessels in the retina that may cause scarring and possibly detachment. According to Texas Children's Hospital, children with ROP are also at greater risk for several other eye conditions including glaucoma, strabismus, amblyopia and myopia and blindness.
Eye Trauma
According to the University of Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, eye trauma is the number one cause of visual loss in persons under twenty five years of age. Eye trauma may cause cataracts and subsequent vision loss. Physical injuries to the eye that can cause vision loss include a punch, cut, puncture, chemical burns, as well as intense heat or cold, or radiation therapy.
