Paediatric Cataract

About Paediatric Cataract

We all have a natural lens inside the eye that helps us to see clearly. The lens should be transparent like a clean crystal but a cataract makes the lens cloudy. Paediatric cataract is a condition in which the lens of the eye is cloudy, either partially or completely. It can be a congenital condition, present at the time of birth or acquired later, developing after the birth. A cloudy lens can occur in one eye (unilateral) or both eyes (bilateral).

Causes

There are many different causes of cataract in children. The most common causes are:

Infections while the baby is still in the womb, like chicken pox or rubella (German measles)
Inherited conditions. Some types of childhood cataracts run in families. Children may inherit the gene(s) for cataracts from a parent who may also have had childhood cataracts.
Syndromes. Some conditions such as Down’s syndrome carry an increased risk of childhood cataract. Some but not all of these conditions are inherited from parents.
Eye conditions such as uveitis (inflammation in the eye)
Conditions that affect metabolism such as diabetes
Trauma
Sometimes no one can determine exactly why the cataract has occurred

Your child may also be seen by the paediatrician who will check to see if there are any conditions associated with the cataract.

Symptoms

White reflex on photographs, due to whitening or clouding of lens
Wandering eye or strabismus
Wobbly eyes or nystagmus
Photophobia/ light sensitivity
Holding things close to the face to see

Some children may not display any symptoms of cataracts as the child can often appear to function well even with reduced vision. Similarly with unilateral cataract, a child may not show any symptoms as the unaffected eye is used for all the visual tasks.

In most cases, cataracts that are present at birth will need to be surgically treated. The success of congenital cataract treatment is largely dependent on the time of intervention; the earlier the surgery is done, the more successful it is. For bilateral congenital cataracts, surgery should be done in the first 10 weeks of life and unilateral congenital cataracts in the first 6 weeks of life.

However, not all cataracts need an operation and sometimes glasses will improve the vision. Even if no surgery is done your child will still need to be checked in clinic to monitor how the eyes are developing.

Cataract surgery in children is more complicated than those in adults and the results less predictable because the eyes are still growing and there is more inflammation and scarring produced in response to the operation.

Children undergoing a cataract operation will require a general anaesthetic, where they are asleep for the operation. If your child has cataracts in both eyes, each eye will require a separate operation, usually within a short time of each other. The two operations are not usually done together because that could increase the risk of infection.

Paediatric Cataract Specialists

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Dubai
Abu Dhabi

Dr. Suhair Twaij

Consultant Ophthalmologist in Adult & Paediatric Strabismus Surgery, Paediatric Ophthalmology, Adult Cataract Surgery

Dr. Suhair Twaij is a Consultant Ophthalmologist with a subspecialist interest in adult and paediatric Strabismus surgery, Paediatric Ophthalmology, adult Cataract Surgery and General Ophthalmology at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai. Dr. Twaij recently relocated to the UAE from the UK, where she has worked as a consultant ophthalmologist at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast since 2013. She was also the clinical lead for the adult motility service in Northern Ireland from 2014. She holds a graduate degree in medicine from the Baghdad University Medical School, obtained in 1994. Her areas of expertise include complex adult and paediatric squint surgery using the adjustable technique when needed, double vision correction, adult cataract surgery with an implant, Botox treatment for squints, double vision, blepharospasm and aesthetics. She has over 20 years of experience in general ophthalmology, including cataract surgery, anterior and posterior segments such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. Dr. Suhair trained in the UK from 2004 in England and Northern Ireland and was awarded the certificate of completion of training (CCT) in ophthalmology in the UK in 2012. She was awarded the Royal College of Ophthalmologists Fellowship in the same year. Throughout her career, she has practised in leading medical institutions such as The Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Altnagelvin Area Hospital, Northern Ireland, The Bristol Eye Hospital, England, and King Hussein Medical City Amman, Jordan. Dr. Suhair is an avid researcher and has Medline-published papers in various ophthalmology topics such as medical retina, paediatric ophthalmology and oculoplastics. She is a member of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, the British & Irish Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Association (BIPOSA) and the European Association of Strabismus (ESA).

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Dr. Imran Jawaid

Consultant Ophthalmologist in Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus surgery

Dr. Imran Jawaid is a Consultant Ophthalmologist, specialised in Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai in Dubai Healthcare City. He holds a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree in Medicine from the University of Leicester, School of Medicine, graduating with honours in 2010. He is also dual qualified as an Optometrist with a Bachelor of Science (HONS) degree in 2003. Dr. Imran has completed his Fellowship with the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (FRCOphth) and obtained his Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) in Ophthalmology in 2020. Dr. Imran has more than 15 years of experience in Ophthalmology in the United Kingdom and has completed a post-CCT fellowship in Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, UK. Most recently he was a Consultant Ophthalmologist and Head of Service for Ophthalmology at Nottingham University Hospitals, NHS Trust, a large tertiary centre for ophthalmic referrals. He has undertaken research in myopia, visual impairment, diabetic macular oedema and emergency ophthalmology, amongst other areas and has published over 10 research papers in leading journals. In addition to his research, Dr. Imran is a keen educator and has taught at different UK medical schools and contributed to book chapters in Ophthalmology. He is a member of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (FRCOphth) and is the recipient of several internationally acclaimed awards and recognitions.

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Dr. Salma Yassine

Specialist Ophthalmologist in Paediatric and Neuro-ophthalmology

Dr. Salma Yassine is a specialist ophthalmologist in paediatric and neuro-ophthalmology at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai in Healthcare City Dubai. She holds a bachelor’s in science (2012) with high distinction and a medical degree (2016) from the American University of Beirut. She finished Her ophthalmology residency at the American University of Beirut Medical Center in 2020 before pursuing a fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology at the University of Minnesota in 2021, followed by another fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington DC. She has international experience in paediatrics and neuro-ophthalmology in countries including the USA and Lebanon. She has practised in leading medical institutions such as the University of Minnesota and the Children’s National Medical Center in the US. She has researched intracranial hypertension and nanophthalmos and published research papers on nystagmus and nanophthalmos in leading journals. She is a member of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Association (AAPOS) The North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (NANOS), and the Lebanese Ophthalmological Society (LOS)

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Dr. Ayesha Khan

Consultant Ophthalmologist in Paediatric Ophthalmology

Dr. Ayesha Khan is a Consultant Ophthalmologist in Paediatric Ophthalmology at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai in Dubai Healthcare City. She is an experienced Ophthalmologist, specialising in the clinical and surgical treatment of a full range of Children’s Eye Diseases, including Retinopathy of Prematurity, Retinoblastoma, Cataracts, Glaucoma, Squints, and eye injuries, amongst others. She is also experienced in the surgical treatment of adult squints & cataracts. After doing her fellowships in Ophthalmology from the College of Physicians & Surgeons, Pakistan (FCPS), & Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, UK (FRCSEd), Dr. Ayesha completed her clinical & surgical training in Paediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus from University of Toronto, Canada. After that, she headed the Department of Paediatric Ophthalmology at a tertiary care Eye Hospital in Pakistan before moving to Canada in 2010. She served as an Associate Professor and Consultant Paediatric at the prestigious Montreal Children’s Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre. After that, she did a short stint in the UK before moving to UAE in January 2020. Since then, she has been actively practising Paediatric Ophthalmology in Dubai. Dr. Ayesha has done extensive research work in Paediatric Ophthalmology and has several publications to her credit. She is a member of the American Association for Paediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus.

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Dr. Irfan Khan

Consultant Ophthalmic surgeon in Paediatric Ophthalmology and adult Strabismus

Dr. Muhammad Irfan Khan is a highly experienced consultant Ophthalmic surgeon specialising in Paediatric Ophthalmology at Moorfields Eye Hospitals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. He earned three postgraduate degrees from the Royal College of Ophthalmologists London: DRCOphth, MRCOphth, and FRCOphth in 2013, along with a Paediatric Ophthalmology fellowship from the renowned Hospital for Sick Children, SickKids, Toronto, Canada. With over 20 years of clinical and surgical experience, Dr. Irfan has practised in several countries, including Ireland, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the UAE. His career includes roles at institutions such as the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital in Dublin, Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, SickKids in Toronto, and Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi. His subspecialty training includes managing complex paediatric eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, and retinopathy of prematurity. He is also experienced in paediatric anterior segment reconstruction and common paediatric oculoplastics. For adult patients, Dr. Irfan is particularly adept in performing adjustable suture squint surgeries, a technique that allows for precise postoperative alignment adjustments. This approach significantly improves outcomes for adults undergoing strabismus surgery, enhancing both visual function and cosmetic results. He has undertaken research in the field of Ophthalmology and has published ten research papers and one book chapter in Childhood neurology. He is a member of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists London and an International member of the American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. In 2015, he received the JD Moran Award from the Hospital of Sick Children in Toronto, Canada.

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Dr. Syed M. Asad Ali

Consultant Ophthalmologist in Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus and Cataract Surgery

Syed Ali is a Consultant Paediatric Ophthalmologist with extensive experience in the management of all paediatric eye conditions including congenital eye diseases, paediatric cataracts, paediatric glaucoma, trauma and all types of squints in children and adults. Syed works with advanced technology and techniques. He has over 10 years of extensive experience in screening and treating retinopathy of prematurity with retinal laser and intravitreal anti VEGF injection. He has wealth of experience in phacoemulsification procedures. Syed Ali trained and has practiced in the UK and Pakistan and has over 18 years of experience in ophthalmology. After completing his basic specialist training, he undertook a fellowship in paediatric ophthalmology and ocular motility at the world renowned Wolverhampton Eye Infirmary, UK. His training in Pakistan and the UK is recognised by the General Medical Council (GMC) and was placed on specialist register. In addition to his clinical experience, Syed has undertaken published original research and teaching in his specialist area, including as an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Pakistan Institute of Ophthalmology. He is a member of several professional bodies including The Royal College of Ophthalmologists, American Academy of Ophthalmology, The British Medical Association, Medical Defense Union and Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh.

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