Not only can adults and children have eye problems, but babies can too. It is much more difficult to notice eye issues in a small baby, and in many cases problems can go undetected until your baby is much older. This is why it is beneficial for you to be aware of some of these things. Read below to learn about two problems your baby could have with its eyes.
Cataracts
It is not a common thing, but babies can be born with cataracts. This could be due to things like you having an infection, such as from rubella or the measles, while you were pregnant, low birth weight, and just plain genetics. A newborn baby's vision develops very quickly in the last few months, so if your baby is premature, they may have an increased chance of developing cataracts. Some things you will notice if your baby has this problem include:
If you notice any of these symptoms, take your baby to the eye doctor. If treated very early, they can have a much better outcome.
Retinopathy of Prematurity
If your baby is born prematurely, they could have an eye condition called Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). ROP damages your baby's retinas and is often caused by your baby getting too much oxygen. Other things that may cause ROP are you having poor nutrition, blood transfusions, and anemia.
If your baby has this, it will likely affect both of its eyes. In many cases the problem is only minor and will need no treatment. Severe forms of ROP, however, can cause blindness or vision loss, if the problem is not treated early.
There is no way for you to tell if your baby has ROP, which is why your doctor will likely suggest they see an eye doctor for an exam to look for problems like this. Treatment for ROP includes freezing (cryotherapy) or laser therapy to stop the retina from detaching from the back of its eye. The doctor may also place a band around their eye to push the eye inward. This helps keep the retina in place. The doctor will remove the band later on.
You cannot completely prevent these problems, but making sure you take care of yourself during your pregnancy, eating the right foods, exercising, and taking your prenatal vitamins can help reduce the chances. For more information about eye surgery, visit Thomas L. Lawrence, M.D., P.A.
Share1 December 2015
When my daughter began having academic problems in school and acting out, I knew that something wasn’t right. Her teachers wanted me to put her on ADD medications, but I didn’t think that that was the right course for us. I had serious doubts that ADD was what was causing her problems. I took her to several different specialists before discovering that her issues in school were actually do to a visual processing problem. The doctor recommended vision therapy, not medication, to help correct the problem and get her back on track. The exercises are really starting to pay off, and she’s showing great improvement.
