What is the best treatment for an infantile cataract in a six-month-old child? after my newborn daughter's right eye began to look cloudy, we learned that she has a unilateral cataract. what would cause this to happen? if she has treatment, will she keep

Unilateral : Unilateral cataracts are usually sporadic events which means that they happen for no known reason. Sometimes they can be attributed to intrauterine infection (such as from rubella), trauma, or abnormality of the structure of the eye, but most of the time no one knows why cataracts happen. Bilateral cataracts can be caused by genetic diseases, so children with cataracts in each eye should be seen and worked up by a geneticist. The best treatment is surgery to remove the lens affected by the cataract. The extent of the surgery and her vision afterwards depends on where on the lens and how big her cataract is. Her ophthalmologist who has examined her will be able to give you a better idea of what to expect.

See ophthalmologist.: This is most likely congenital, and possibly may be due to a tumor or some other condition with the eye. It may be observed, further evaluated or surgery. You need to see a pediatric ophthalmologist.

Current surgeries to: Remove unilateral cataracts can greatly improve vision, depending on the type & location of the cataract & age of the patient. (best results at <2 mos.) post-op use of an intra-ocular or contact lens & treatment of amblyopia is needed. Persistence of a fetal pattern of blood vessels of unknown cause, genetic errors either isolated or with syndromes & prenatal infections are possible causes.