Cataracts are often associated with older people, but they can affect babies and children too. Timely diagnosis and specialist care can protect developing sight and make a difference that lasts for years.
When we think about cataracts, many of us picture an older person. But eye conditions can affect people at every stage of life, including childhood.
A cataract develops when the normally clear lens inside the eye becomes cloudy. This can make the world appear blurred, dull or difficult to see. Some babies are born with cataracts, while other children develop them as they grow.
Why timely eye care matters
For children, timely eye care is particularly important. Their eyes and brains are still learning to work together, and clear sight supports how they learn, move, play and connect with the people around them.
Without clear images reaching the brain, sight may not develop as it should, potentially causing lasting vision loss. Not every childhood cataract requires surgery, but children need specialist assessment to determine the right treatment.
Recognising a problem can also be difficult. Young children may not have the words to explain what they are experiencing, or may assume everyone sees the way they do.
Some possible signs parents and caregivers can watch for include:
- holding books, toys or screens very close
- squinting, closing one eye or tilting their head to see
- eyes that do not appear to point in the same direction
- frequently eye rubbing, headaches or eye strain
- difficulty reading, losing their place or struggling with hand–eye coordination
- unusual sensitivity to light, or a white or cloudy appearance in the pupil.
These signs do not always mean a child has an eye condition, but concerns should be checked by an eye care professional. Children can have their vision assessed even if they are too young to read or explain what they can see.
Early detection can connect a child with the glasses or treatment they need. The World Health Organization recommends eye screening from the newborn stage through to school age.
Accessing specialist care in the Pacific
For many families, particularly those living in remote Pacific communities, recognising that something is wrong is only the beginning.
Specialist eye care may be far from home. Families can face long journeys, transport and accommodation costs, and time away from work and other children. Providing children’s eye surgery also requires trained eye care workers, specialist equipment, anaesthetic support and ongoing follow-up care.
Globally, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness estimates that 40% of childhood blindness could be prevented or managed if children had access to eye care services.
How we are helping
The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ supports Pacific partners to strengthen locally led children’s eye care through specialist training, equipment and dedicated outreaches.
In Fiji, the Foundation-supported Pacific Eye Institute works alongside local hospital teams to train and bring together the specialists required to provide treatment for children. This includes eye doctors and nurses, paediatric teams, anaesthetists, recovery staff and other hospital services.
Fiji’s first Paediatric Eye Surgical Week took place in 2022, after a new general anaesthesia platform was established at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital eye department. Another dedicated children’s surgical outreach followed in 2025, with a further outreach planned for August this year.
These outreaches help identify children waiting for care, coordinate specialist assessments and surgery, and support their recovery and follow-up. They can also help children access treatment within Fiji that might otherwise require their families to seek care overseas.
The outreaches also build local skills. During the upcoming Paediatric Eye Surgical Week, two Pacific eye doctors – one from Fiji and one from Solomon Islands – will undertake sub-specialty training in paediatric eye care.
By bringing specialist training into the region, doctors can build advanced skills without spending long periods away from their home countries. This strengthens the local workforce and expands the range of eye conditions that can be treated across the Pacific.
An impact that continues
Restoring a child’s sight can make an immediate difference. A child may see a parent’s face clearly, recognise colours or read letters that were previously blurred.
But the full impact often becomes clearer over time.
With the right treatment and follow-up, children can have more opportunities to take part in school, play with friends and make plans for their future. For their families, accessing care can replace uncertainty about what lies ahead, with confidence that their child has received the treatment they need.
Dr Mulusew Melesse, Senior Lecturer in Ophthalmology at the University of Papua New Guinea, previously specialised in children’s eye care and established a paediatric ophthalmology clinic in his home country of Ethiopia. He says the opportunity to restore a child’s sight is particularly rewarding.
“If I restore sight for a child who is blind from cataract, the impact is lifelong. That child may live another 60 or 70 years with restored sight. One paediatric cataract surgery can have the same impact as 10 adult cataract surgeries.”
That is what makes children’s eye care so important. It is not only about what a child can see on the day their bandages come off. It is about the years of learning, friendship and possibility that can follow.
By supporting locally led eye care services, specialist training, equipment and dedicated children’s outreaches, The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ is helping Pacific eye care teams provide quality care closer to home – so more children can see, learn and imagine their own future.
