North India Childhood Cataract Study - The real scenario and causes of surgical delay of pediatric cataract

PURPOSE: The study sought to describe the clinical presentation pattern of pediatric cataracts and factors leading to delay in surgery at a tertiary care center in North India. METHODS: A cross-sectional, interview-based study was conducted from January 2020 to October 2020, that included pediatric patients <12 years, with unilateral or bilateral congenital or developmental cataract. A pre-validated questionnaire was used to record data. The parameters recorded were age at first symptoms, age at diagnosis of cataract, age at surgery, laterality of cataract, first symptom, first family member noticing the abnormality, the morphology of cataract, association of perinatal complications, family history, systemic diseases, and cause (s) of delay in surgery. RESULTS: A total of 89 patients were included. The mean age of subjects was 4.75(±3.51) years. A white pupil was the most common symptom (64.04%) and appeared in infancy in 30.3% of cases. Parents first detected the problem in 60.67%, and the pediatrician was the first medical contact in 11.23% of cases. The median (IQR) delay period between diagnosis of cataract and cataract surgery was 4 (3–6) months, the major causes were long GA waiting (30.33%), and delay due to systemic ill health (14.61%). CONCLUSION: Parental education on cataract detection is recommended to help in the timely detection and hence, improved outcomes of pediatric cataract surgery. Pediatricians, consulted for any systemic illness, have the role of the second most important contact in the detection of pediatric cataract.