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January is Glaucoma Awareness Month
Glaucoma Can Strike At All Ages, Even Newborn Babies
Primary congenital glaucoma is the most common hereditary childhood glaucoma and an important cause of childhood blindness. Over 3 million Americans have glaucoma, and this is a cause of blindness that does not just affect older age groups. Glaucoma can strike even newborn infants. Childhood glaucoma occurs in 1 out of every 8,000 children in the United States. Primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) accounts for approximately 50% to 70% of all cases of childhood glaucoma.
In most cases, primary congenital glaucoma is diagnosed within the child’s first year. Although uncommon, newborn primary congenital glaucoma is an important subtype of primary congenital glaucoma, notable because it is often the most severe and clinically challenging expression of this disease. Babies born with newborn glaucoma typically manifest specific signs that help doctors diagnose it at birth — signs that also become important in the assessment and determination of appropriate treatment.
Primary congenital glaucoma is the most common hereditary childhood glaucoma and an important cause of childhood blindness. For babies born with glaucoma, as well as infants who develop glaucoma, there are many significant challenges facing the child, the parents, the siblings, and the health professionals caring for the child.
Both medical and surgical methods are used in treating childhood glaucoma. Medical treatments can come in the form of eye drops, pills, or suspension of medication for administration by mouth. These treatments help to either increase the exit of fluid from the eye or decrease the internal ocular production of fluid. Both approaches result in lowering the eye pressure. Surgical procedures that are used to help control eye pressure include:
Goniosurgery
Filtration surgery
Glaucoma implant surgery
Laser surgery
Glaucoma refers to a group of eye diseases with common features that may include elevated eye pressure, damage to the optic nerve, and potential vision loss. There are many causes of adult and childhood glaucoma.
Congenital glaucoma is the common term used for glaucoma when diagnosed in infancy or early childhood. Childhood glaucoma is associated with physical changes in the eye that are caused by high pressure. Enlargement of the eye, cloudiness of the cornea, and injury to the optic nerve are examples of changes that can occur as a result of glaucoma.
To access the full article on childhood glaucoma, click here.