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What Causes Congenital
Cataracts?
Cataracts clouding the eye's
natural lens usually are
associated with aging
processes. But congenital
cataracts occur in newborn
babies for many reasons that
can include inherited
tendencies, infection,
metabolic problems,
diabetes, trauma,
inflammation or drug
reactions.
As an example, tetracycline
antibiotics used to treat
infections in pregnant women
have been shown to cause
cataracts in newborn babies.
Congenital cataracts also
can occur when, during
pregnancy, the mother
develops infections such as
measles or rubella (the most
common cause), rubeola,
chicken pox,
cytomegalovirus, herpes
simplex, herpes zoster,
poliomyelitis, influenza,
Epstein-Barr virus,
syphilis, and toxoplasmosis.
Older babies and children
also can be diagnosed with
cataracts, known as
pediatric cataracts, for
similar reasons. However,
trauma associated with
events such as a blow to the
eye is the underlying cause
in 40 percent of cases of
cataracts in older children.
In 33 percent of cases of
pediatric cataracts,
children were born with
congenital cataracts that
may initially have been
overlooked.**
In inherited and other forms
of congenital cataracts,
abnormalities may occur in
formation of proteins
essential for maintaining
transparency of the eye's
natural lens.
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