As we come to the end of January, which this year is Glaucoma Awareness Month, I wanted to post a few resources for families who are dealing with pediatric glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness, and while older people are more at risk, glaucoma can occur at any age.  Pediatric or Childhood Glaucoma may be congenital (1 in 10,000 babies in the US are born with glaucoma) or may develop later in childhood.  Glaucoma is also closely associated with cataracts, children who have cataract surgery are at higher risk of developing glaucoma, and so are often closely monitored.  Some symptoms of childhood glaucoma include light sensitivity (photophobia), corneal opacification (hazy gray cornea), enlarged eye and cornea, epiphora (overflow of tears), and vision loss. (Information is from the Pediatric Glaucoma and Cataract Family Association, and the Glaucoma Research Foundation).

You can find more information about pediatric glaucoma and support support for those dealing with it here:

• Congenital Glaucoma Network – this is a social network for all people affected by childhood glaucoma come to share their story.  There is a forum, blogs, a place to share photos, videos, and links to more resources.
• Pediatric Glaucoma – information on pediatric glaucoma from the Pediatric Cataracts & Glaucoma Family Association.  You may also want to check their Knowledgebase for more articles on glaucoma.
• Children’s Glaucoma Foundation – a non-profit dedicated to supporting children with glaucoma.
• Childhood Glaucoma – symptoms, treatment options, and stories about childhood glaucoma.  From the Glaucoma Research Foundation.

You can also read other posts on Little Four Eyes that deal with glaucoma.

If I’m missing anything, please let me know!