Republic of the Philippines

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
Calauan, Laguna Campus

A Case Study: How a Children with

Congenital Cataract able to Learn

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements
for
Child and Adolescent Development

Allen Jane C. Mondragon

BBTLEd 3-1

“THE COUNTRY’S 1stPOLYTECHNICU”

 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
Calauan, Laguna Campus
Sypnosis/Executive Summary

This paper focuses on how a child with congenital cataract able to learn. In this paper we will

know what is congenital cataract, what causes congenital cataract, what are symptoms of

congenital cataract, what are possible complications of congenital cataract in a child, how is

congenital cataract treated in a child. I used internet, interview, and my observation in getting

information about the study. Let’s keep him under the name of “Les” not his real name. They

were our neighbor right now.

Findings

A cataract is the clouding of the lens of an eye. Congenital means that it happens before

birth or during a baby's first year of life. A baby with congenital cataracts has clouding in one or

both eyes. (Congenital Cataracts (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth, 2019)

A cataract is an opacification of the lens. Congenital cataracts usually are diagnosed at

birth. If a cataract goes undetected in an infant, permanent visual loss may ensue. Not all

cataracts are visually significant. If a lenticular opacity is in the visual axis, it is considered

visually significant and may lead to blindness. If the cataract is small, in the anterior portion of

the lens, or in the periphery, no visual loss may be present. (Mounir Bashour, MD, PhD, CM,

FRCSC, FACS, 2021)

“THE COUNTRY’S 1stPOLYTECHNICU”

 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
Calauan, Laguna Campus
Sign and Symptoms of Congenital Cataract

When a baby has a congenital cataract, the center (pupil) of the eye looks gray or white

instead of black. The whole pupil may look like it is covered with a film, or you might just see a

spot on the pupil. (Congenital Cataracts (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth, 2019)

Causes of Congenital Cataract

Based on Congenital cataract: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, 2020, Unlike most

cataracts, which occur with aging, congenital cataracts are present at birth. Congenital cataracts

are rare. In most people, no cause can be found. Congenital cataracts often occur as part of the

following birth defects:

 Chondrodysplasia syndrome

 Congenital rubella

 Conradi-Hünermann syndrome

 Down syndrome (trisomy 21)

 Ectodermal dysplasia syndrome

 Familial congenital cataracts

 Galactosemia

 Hallermann-Streiff syndrome

 Lowe syndrome

“THE COUNTRY’S 1stPOLYTECHNICU”

 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
Calauan, Laguna Campus
 Marinesco-Sjögren syndrome

 Pierre-Robin syndrome

 Trisomy 13

Discussion

Cataracts are often found in association with many systemic disorders. Some are

congenital in origin but in other cases they develop in early infancy or later in life. They are

found in association with disorders, connective tissue disorders, neurological conditions,

chromosomal abnormalities and dermatological disorders. Some of these syndromes have a

genetic basis but often it is uncertain whether they are hereditary and often their cause is

unknown. (Congenital and developmental cataracts and multimalformation syndromes, 2021)

Based on Les mother, he was 5 months old baby before cataract clearly appear and see. I

asked her if they have a situation like his son on their families both parents of Les didn’t have

any cataract cases before. The cause of his cataract is unknown based on information that his

mother tell me.

Congenital cataract is a rare eye disease, one of the leading treatable causes of low vision

in children worldwide. Hereditary cataracts can be divided in syndromic and non-syndromic

cataracts. (Bremond-Gignac et al., 2020)

Your baby may have been born with a cataract. Your doctor may use the word “congenital.”

It means the lens did not form properly during the pregnancy.

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 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
Calauan, Laguna Campus
Sometimes congenital cataracts are caused by a chromosomal problem like Down syndrome. They

might also be hereditary, meaning a baby’s mom or dad may have them.

(https://www.facebook.com/WebMD, 2016)

Or, they could be acquired, meaning your child developed them after birth. There are many possible

causes, including:

 Eye injury

 Diabetes

 Complications from eye problems

 Radiation treatment

 Steroids

Les is studying with Sped students according to his mother. Because of having a

difficulty of reading and writing due to the condition of his body. Sometimes he is restless in one

place and his eyes are rolling together left and right. That is why some people thinks that Les has

a Down Syndrome because they based on what action they see to Les. His mother added that

even he has a lot of action before doing one thing Les is smart and can understand what to do in

a particular thing.

Due to poverty Les family don’t have enough money to use for his operation. Her mother

go to Ms. Levin Berris to help his son in operation. With the help of Ms. Levin Berris Libreng

Operasyon Les is one of the patient who granted an operation. After the operation they need a

maintenance for Les eyes, but due to poverty they can’t afford to give Les maintenance for his

“THE COUNTRY’S 1stPOLYTECHNICU”

 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
Calauan, Laguna Campus
eyes. His mother noticed that while Les is growing his action become his mannerism. Like using

his hand as wiper to his eyes for him to see clearly things. He has a eyeglasses to see things

clearly but now it is broken that is why he used his hand.

Congenital Cataracts: Causes

 Congenital cataracts can occur in newborn babies for many reasons, including 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.

 Also, some pediatric cataracts may actually be congenital cataracts that simply weren't

identified earlier because the child did not have his or her first eye exam until they were

older.

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 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
Calauan, Laguna Campus

Congenital Cataracts: Types

The following are different types of congenital cataracts:

 Anterior polar cataracts are well defined, located in the front part of the eye's lens.

They often are associated with inherited traits. Many anterior polar cataracts are small

and do not require surgical intervention.

 Posterior polar cataracts also are well defined opacifications, but appear in the back

portion of the eye's lens.

 Nuclear cataracts appear in the central part of the lens and are a very common form of

congenital cataracts.

 Cerulean cataracts usually are found in both eyes of infants and are distinguished by

small, bluish dots in the lens. Typically, this type of cataract does not cause vision

problems. Cerulean cataracts appear to be associated with inherited tendencies.

(Congenital Cataracts: Types, Causes and Treatments, 2019)

Treatment of Congenital Cataract

 Sometimes surgical removal of cataracts

 Treatment of amblyopia if present

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 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
Calauan, Laguna Campus
If necessary, ophthalmologists remove the whole lens containing the cataract through a

small incision in the eye. Sometimes, like in adult cataract surgery, doctors implant a plastic or

silicone lens (intraocular lens) at the same time. However, for many infants, doctors wait until

the child is older, usually about age 2 years, to implant the lens. Until then, the child wears a

hard contact lens to correct vision.

After a cataract is removed from one eye, the quality of the image in the treated eye is

still poorer than that of the other eye (assuming the other eye is normal). Because the better eye

is preferred, the brain suppresses the poorer-quality image, and amblyopia (decrease in vision

that occurs because the brain ignores the image received from an eye) develops. If doctors

cannot correct the vision sufficiently in the surgically treated eye, they often force the child to

use the treated eye by putting a patch over the better eye (patching) or using eye drops to blur

the vision in the better eye. Patching or using eye drops in the better eye helps the treated eye

develop normal sight.

After cataracts are removed from both eyes, children who had image quality that was

similar in both eyes more frequently develop equal vision in both eyes. (MSD Manuals, 2021)

Conclusion

A cataract is the clouding of the lens of an eye. Congenital means that it happens before

birth or during a baby's first year of life. A baby with congenital cataracts has clouding in one or

both eyes. Two eyes of Les affected by cataract and as I see wiper using his hand to see clearly

thing is now become his mannerism.

“THE COUNTRY’S 1stPOLYTECHNICU”

 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
Calauan, Laguna Campus
Congenital cataract is a rare eye disease, one of the leading treatable causes of low vision

in children worldwide it can be inherited by parents. Also a baby may have been born with

cataract and the doctor will used congenital word means that during pregnancy lens did not form

properly. Based on other study cataract appear at later birth and didn’t see in test that given in

newborn.

Non-syndromic congenital cataract maybe the result of Les surgery. It may see at his eyes

that forms an abnormalities. Even that happens his parents is thankful because he can do what

other kid can do too but beware in movements. Upon he is growing people that surrounds him

didn’t bully him, because Les is friendly and kind.

Congenital cataract can be fix by surgical removal of cataract. Parents of Les did it to

have him a surgery. After the surgery due to lack of budget Les didn’t get his maintenance for

his eyes only eyeglasses support his eyes from some harm effects that will brought to him.

Recommendation

As much as possible during pregnancy, the mother should know if there were any

problems they have that can be inherit by their baby and may affect in their womb.

Parent-child interaction should master the balance between the child’s disability and

ability in order to achieve the best possible outcome, habitually. The interactions change through

a process towards adjustments and acceptance. All parents emphasized that you do what you

have to do to achieve a successful visual outcome.

“THE COUNTRY’S 1stPOLYTECHNICU”

 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
Calauan, Laguna Campus
The Grounded Theory describes the parents' efforts to balance the child's inability and

ability in order to maintain their social functioning and lead a normal life through a process

comprising four main categories; Mastering, Collaborating, Facilitating, and Adapting. This

process makes the path of transition evident, starting when the child is diagnosed and continuing

for several years during her/his growth and development. (Gyllén et al., 2019)

“THE COUNTRY’S 1stPOLYTECHNICU”

 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
Calauan, Laguna Campus

References

Congenital Cataracts (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth. (2019). Kidshealth.org.

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/congenital-cataracts.html

Congenital cataract: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. (2020). Medlineplus.gov.

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001615.htm

Mounir Bashour, MD, PhD, CM, FRCSC, FACS. (2021, June 17). Congenital Cataract:

Background, Pathophysiology, Epidemiology. Medscape.com; Medscape.

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1210837-overview

Congenital and developmental cataracts and multimalformation syndromes. (2021). Ophthalmic

Paediatrics and Genetics.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/13816818909009885

‌https://www.facebook.com/WebMD. (2016, October 24). Cataracts in Babies and Children:

What to Know. WebMD; WebMD.

https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/cataracts/cataracts-in-babies-and-children

‌Congenital Cataracts: Types, Causes and Treatments. (2019, March 4). All about Vision; All

About Vision. https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/congenital-cataracts.htm

‌MSD Manuals. (2021). Ocular Implant. MSD Manual Consumer Version.

https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/children-s-health-issues/eye-disorders-in-children/

congenital-cataract

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 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
Calauan, Laguna Campus

Gyllén, J., Magnusson, G., & Forsberg, A. (2019). The Core of Parents’ Main Concerns When

Having a Child With Cataract and Its Clinical Implications. Journal of Pediatric

Nursing, 44, e45–e51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2018.10.017

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