2020 Second Extraordinary Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 37
BY SENATOR MORRIS
A RESOLUTION
To designate October 22, 2020, as "Cataract Awareness Day" at the Louisiana State Capitol,
with a special emphasis on congenital or childhood cataracts.
WHEREAS, 2020 has been designated as the "Year of the Eye" by the American
Academy of Ophthalmology in the hope of better educating the public about cataracts and
other conditions and diseases of the eye; and
WHEREAS, cataracts are the world's leading cause of vision loss, and congenital
cataracts are rare but destructive if left undiagnosed or untreated; and
WHEREAS, a cataract is a clouding of the eye's lens that blocks or changes the
passage of light into the eye and through to the retina causing vision to become blurry or
dim; and
WHEREAS, cataracts are most often thought of as related to aging, which is
generally the case, but a newborn baby with congenital cataracts is a serious health issue as
well; and
WHEREAS, congenital cataracts can cause blindness in children if left undiagnosed
and untreated; and
WHEREAS, symptoms of congenital cataracts can include cloudy or blurred vision,
eyes that are not aligned, and eye movements that cannot be controlled. The symptoms may
affect one (unilateral) or both (bilateral) eyes but can be treated successfully with access to
quality eye care services; and
WHEREAS, congenital cataracts can be diagnosed at a newborn baby's first vision
screening with a red reflex test, which is not routinely given, but easily accomplished upon
request; and
Page 1 of 2 SR NO. 37 ENROLLED
WHEREAS, some congenital cataracts are caused by a genetic "fault" inherited from
the child's parents that cause the lens of the eye to develop abnormally; other causes are
certain infections experienced by the mother during pregnancy such as chickenpox, certain
birth defects such as Down Syndrome, or by an injury to the eye at birth; and
WHEREAS, treatments in babies and children vary and are dependent upon the
cataract size and location, involve a weighing of the risks and benefits, and can include any
of the following: lens surgery, an initial and continuing monitoring of the eye, contact lenses,
glasses, eye patches, and vision therapy; and
WHEREAS, cataracts in older adults are easily corrected with surgery and the
implanting of a new lens in the eye and are thought to be one of the most successful surgical
procedures, not only because of the satisfactory results, but also because of the low incidence
of complications; and
WHEREAS, with cataracts as the number one cause of blindness, the education of
the public is essential to diagnose this easily corrected cause, in both aging adults and in
newborn babies.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby designate October 22, 2020, as "Cataract Awareness Day" at the Louisiana State
Capitol, with a special emphasis on congenital or childhood cataracts.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
Page 2 of 2