Unlike most cataracts, which occur with age, congenital cataracts are present at birth. Congenital cataracts are rare and it is difficult to attribute a definite cause. Some of the main reasons ascribed to congenital cataracts include:
 
  • A genetic predisposition
  • Infection
  • Metabolic problems
  • Diabetes
  • Trauma
  • Inflammation/drug reactions
 
Congenital cataracts can also occur when during pregnancy the mother develops an infection such as measles or rubella (the most common cause), rubeola, chicken pox, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, poliomyelitis, epstein barr virus, syphilis, and toxoplasmosis. In older children, an injury to the eye has been shown to occasionally result in cataracts.
 
Learn more information about diagnosing congenital cataracts
 

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