While breastfeeding her newborn daughter Madison, mom Brandee Artale noticed something unusual in her baby's eyes, prompting her and her husband Andrew to bring Madison back to her pediatrician.
Their pediatrician referred them to Dr. Paul Rychwalski, an ophthalmologist, who diagnosed Madison with congenital cataracts, a rare condition where the eye's lens is cloudy. Dr Paul says while only 3 in 10,000 babies have this many of them end up with permanent vision loss because no one saw it till the baby was too old. "We want to remove this cloudiness of the lens as soon as possible, hopefully within the first six weeks of life. The brain is not fully turned on in those first six weeks so we have some flexibility, but after that the clock starts ticking."
Madison underwent three surgeries to correct her cataracts and then received custom-made glasses, which have significantly improved her vision and allow her to see her surroundings clearly for the first time. Her parents noted a marked change in her behavior and happiness with her improved vision, and her doctor says that she has a good chance of achieving better than 20/40 vision with careful monitoring.
The family is grateful for the quick medical intervention and hope their story raises awareness about congenital cataracts. They encourage parents to trust their instincts and seek medical advice if they notice anything unusual in their child's eyes, because early detection can make a huge difference.
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