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Cataract is a disease normally associated with old age. But the fact remains that in India, every year some 6 million children are born with congenital malformations. It has been found through a study that 12% of childhood blindness is due to cataract. Congenital cataract is a condition, which, if left untreated can lead to life long deterioration of vision/ blindness.
Causes of Childhood Cataract:
 Inborn metabolism errors
Exposure of a first-trimester foetus to rubella virus (German measles)
Toxins
Radiation
Congenital anomalies which are in turn higher in consanguineous marriages
Across India, the primary cause for untreated cataracts is lack of awareness. Also, people fall prey to myths and conventions. Cases with single eye cataract are more often than not ignored because of vision in the other eye. Aside, cataract surgeries in children need to be performed under general anesthesia and the corresponding high costs deter many families from surgery.
Project Drishti has operated 22 cases of childhood cataract. |
Age break up |
Geographical background |
Eye |
< 10 Years- 1
10-14 Years- 17
15 Years- 4 |
B Rural- 10 Cases
B Urban- 3 Cases
Kolar- 8 Cases
Shimoga- 1 Case |
Right Eye-13
Left Eye- 9 |
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Paediatric Cataract
Saleem Pasha was hurt in the eye while playing with his friends. But his parents did not sense that something was amiss. Then aged 7 years and the last of the two sons of Sikander Pasha, a casual labourer, Saleem who also has a sister was then studying in Standard II at the Government Urdu School in Gauripalya.
“It was his teacher who called me to the school and informed me that my
son
was having a problem with his vision,” recalls Saleems’s mother. “She suggested that I see an eye specialist. Luckily for us, somebody came to our locality and distributed pamphlets about a free eye screening and operation camp scheduled for August 28, 2005 at Adarsh College. We were overjoyed. It was as if Allah had sent us help.”
Saleem Pasha was diagnosed with a mature cataract in his left eye and had
to undergo surgery immediately. On August 29, 2005, Saleem underwent a sutureless
small incision cataract surgery with IOL implantation at the GC Surana Drishti
Eye Hospital. “May God bless you all, you cured my son,” was all
that his emotional mother could say in appreciation. Saleem is one of the fortunate
children to have received timely help. Paediatric Cataract is one of the important
causes of blindness in children. Early diagnosis and treatment will ensure
that many more children like Saleem are prevented from becoming victims of
avoidable blindness.
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