Definition of Congenital Glaucoma

Congenital glaucoma is a type of congenital eye defect that can cause damage to the baby's eyes. Damage to the baby's eyes can cause vision problems or even blindness. Therefore, congenital glaucoma needs to be treated by a doctor immediately.

Inside a healthy eyeball, there is a clear fluid that continues to flow and is absorbed by a channel consisting of blood vessels in the eyeball. The function of fluid in the eyeball is to provide nutrients to all eye tissue and remove dirt in the eye.

When this channel is not functioning properly or is blocked, fluid in the eyeball can accumulate and increase pressure on the eyeball. When the pressure in the eyeball is too high, over time the condition can damage the eye nerve.

This is what causes glaucoma. This disease can occur in adults and the elderly.

However, in certain cases, glaucoma can occur from birth. Glaucoma that occurs in newborns is called congenital glaucoma.

Recognize the Causes and Symptoms of Congenital Glaucoma

The cause of congenital glaucoma is not yet known with certainty. However, certain factors, such as genetic factors or having parents suffering from glaucoma from birth, are thought to increase the risk of the baby being born with congenital glaucoma.

Eye disease in this baby can be recognized by the following symptoms:

• Tear frequently.
• Difficult to open eyes.
• Often close one or both eyes when they are in a bright place.
• Stiffness or spasm of the eyelids (blepharospasm).
• The baby's cornea looks cloudy.
• One or both baby's corneas are larger than normal size.
• Baby's eyes are red.

If your child experiences the symptoms above, it is advisable to immediately take him to the doctor so that the examination and treatment can be done immediately.

Steps for managing congenital glaucoma

To diagnose congenital glaucoma, the doctor will do a thorough eye examination of the baby. The examination includes the movement of the eyeball, measuring eye pressure, and the condition of the eye nerve.

If the test results show that the baby has glaucoma, then treatment needs to be done. The following are some steps to treat congenital glaucoma that can be done by a doctor:

Operation

The main treatment for congenital glaucoma is surgery. This operation is performed to open and repair fluid drainage channels in the baby's eyeball. In addition to conventional eye surgery, surgery on the eye can also be done with laser surgery.

Giving medicine

If the baby's condition is not possible to undergo surgery, the doctor can provide treatment in advance to reduce pressure in the eyeball.

Drugs commonly used to treat congenital glaucoma are beta-blockers, such as timolol, and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, such as acetazolamide. Doctors can provide these drugs in the preparation of eye drops and oral medication.

After surgery, the baby's eye condition needs to be monitored regularly. After he is old enough, he may need glasses or contact lenses later to improve his vision, if he has vision problems.

It is important to recognize the symptoms of glaucoma as early as possible so that this condition can be treated early. The earlier treatment is carried out, the better the chance of saving the baby's vision and eye condition. So, don't forget to check your baby's eye health condition to the ophthalmologist after he was born.

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