Cataracts

How are cataracts diagnosed?

为了诊断白内障，您的孩子的医生将进行眼科检查，任何可能会进行一些检查，包括：

• dilating your child’s pupils with eye drops to examine the back of the eye
• an ultrasound to look in the back of the eye

What are the treatment options for cataracts?

根据白内障的大小，治疗可能涉及修补眼睛或手术。每个孩子和白内障都不一样，但一般规则是，孩子年龄越大，即将进行手术的紧迫性越小。这意味着可以在不手术的情况下进行几个月或数年的手术来管理某些白内障。

患有密集白内障的孩子需要手术才能尽快将其删除。如果没有切除白内障，它可以阻止光线进入视网膜（眼睛的背面），并防止视网膜向大脑发送视觉信息。如果在视觉发展过程中发生这种情况，那么即使在视白内障去除白内障之后，大脑也永远不会学会看到。

Patching

If the cataract is only a tiny dot on the lens, the lens may not need to be removed. Instead, the doctor may recommend simply placing a patch over the “good” eye, and possibly having your child wear glasses or contact lenses. Patching the unaffected eye forces the eye with the cataract to develop better vision.

贴片是完全遮住眼睛的粘合剂覆盖物。它们具有有趣的儿童友好设计。通常，该补丁每天一小时到清醒时间的五十％。

白内障手术后通常使用斑块，以帮助白内障“赶上”另一个的眼睛。您孩子的医生将确定是否有必要。

Surgery

During surgery, a small incision is made in the eye and the cloudy lens is removed with a special instrument.

手术期间，您的孩子可能会用清晰的塑料永久透镜（称为人眼镜）代替镜头。但是这种类型的镜头并不总是对儿童的选择。这是因为幼儿中的晶状体植入物更可能引起并发症，并且很难确定在幼儿眼中使用的最佳晶状体能力，这也将以成年人的身份为他们服务。

Most children who don’t have a lens implanted during surgery are fitted with specialty contact lenses a few days later. In some cases, this is a temporary solution used until it's time for intraocular implants. In other cases, the contact lenses work great and there's no need for more surgery.

为什么必须立即对我的宝宝的白内障进行治疗？

白内障的眼睛无法向大脑提供视觉信息。如果在大脑“学会看到”时发生这种情况，它可能会学会忽略这种眼睛。而且，由于当大脑和眼睛一起工作时，视力就会发生，因此即使白内障最终被去除，您的孩子也可能永远无法用这种眼睛看到。

Do all cataracts need to be removed?

不，在某些情况下，白内障可能只是镜头中间的一个点，而不必去除，因为有光线可以绕过它。有时，弄清楚白内障是否需要去除白内障需要大量的经验和专业知识，因此至关重要的是，您的孩子受到眼睛医生的评估，他看到许多婴儿和患有白内障的孩子。

Will my child require ultrasonography to break up her lens before it can be removed?

Probably not. Ultrasounds are used in cataract surgery for adults to break up hard lenses that are usually caused by aging. Most children don’t need ultrasound because their lenses are soft.

Do all cataracts affect vision?

否 - 有时白内障可能很小，以至于您的孩子根本看不到任何模糊。但是要记住的一件事是，与您的循环系统或呼吸系统不同，您对视觉系统的体验完全取决于您的使用方式。

我孩子的白内障会恶化吗？

这很难预测 - 有些白内障会进展，有些则没有。有时，孩子的视野似乎开始恶化，因为他们的视觉需求正在改变，即使白内障本身没有改变。

Can cataracts be prevented?

Not really, although it’s important that kids wear eye protection when playing sports to lessen the chance of eye injury.

眼内镜头值得注意吗？

Most often, the implant is invisible. Some parents say that the eye with the implant seems to have a “sparkle” or “glint” if light catches it just right, but that certainly doesn't cause any problems for your child.

我的孩子需要戴眼镜吗？

Most children will need to wear glasses after intraocular lens implants. Natural lenses can shift focus from far to near, but intraocular lenses can only focus on one place. Once children can sit up, they may need bifocals to help them focus up close and far away. If your child has been prescribed reading glasses or bifocals, they might not need to wear them all the time.