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abujagirl
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Dr Kunle Otuneye, a Paediatrician, on Thursday advised parents to always have their children’s eyes examined at birth to detect any problem and treat accordingly.
Otuneye, who works with the National Hospital,Abuja said that early treatment of eye defect such as cataract could prevent complications that might occur in old age.
He said that early eye check was essential as it would assist in detecting structural abnormalities that could result in cataract. Cataracts are cloudy patches in the lens of the eye that can make vision blurred or misty.
According to him, cataracts most commonly develop in adults as a result of ageing, while some children are born with cataracts, or can also develop it while growing.
"Some cataracts are due to congenital problems, while some could be as a result of error in metabolism, maybe there are some things that the baby is eating that are not digested properly. Some cataracts can be as a result of growth in the eyes, or it might just be that the child was born with it.
"The possible cause of cataracts can be a genetic fault inherited from the child's parents that caused the lens to develop abnormally or certain genetic conditions or certain infections picked up by the mother during pregnancy ", he said.
Otuneye said that there were different reasons why a child might be born with cataracts or develop them while he or she was young. He said that cataracts could affect one or both eyes with the vision increasingly affected.
Otuneye said it could be difficult to spot signs of cataracts, adding that , "baby's eyes will be routinely examined within 72 hours of birth and when they are six to eight weeks old.
"Sometimes cataracts can develop in children after screening tests, causing symptoms such as poor vision, 'wobbling' eyes and squinted eyes. It is particularly important to spot cataracts in children quickly because early treatment can reduce the risk of long-term vision problems,’’ he said.
Otuneye said that cataract surgery was generally successful with a low risk of serious complications.
Otuneye, who works with the National Hospital,Abuja said that early treatment of eye defect such as cataract could prevent complications that might occur in old age.
He said that early eye check was essential as it would assist in detecting structural abnormalities that could result in cataract. Cataracts are cloudy patches in the lens of the eye that can make vision blurred or misty.
According to him, cataracts most commonly develop in adults as a result of ageing, while some children are born with cataracts, or can also develop it while growing.
"Some cataracts are due to congenital problems, while some could be as a result of error in metabolism, maybe there are some things that the baby is eating that are not digested properly. Some cataracts can be as a result of growth in the eyes, or it might just be that the child was born with it.
"The possible cause of cataracts can be a genetic fault inherited from the child's parents that caused the lens to develop abnormally or certain genetic conditions or certain infections picked up by the mother during pregnancy ", he said.
Otuneye said that there were different reasons why a child might be born with cataracts or develop them while he or she was young. He said that cataracts could affect one or both eyes with the vision increasingly affected.
Otuneye said it could be difficult to spot signs of cataracts, adding that , "baby's eyes will be routinely examined within 72 hours of birth and when they are six to eight weeks old.
"Sometimes cataracts can develop in children after screening tests, causing symptoms such as poor vision, 'wobbling' eyes and squinted eyes. It is particularly important to spot cataracts in children quickly because early treatment can reduce the risk of long-term vision problems,’’ he said.
Otuneye said that cataract surgery was generally successful with a low risk of serious complications.