Experts, in a study, have called for education of mothers on ways to detect cataract in children to promote its earlier detection and treatment to reduce blindness from childhood cataract in resource-poor countries, Nigeria inclusive, where screening programmes are few or non-existent. Seventy-four (45.1 per cent) children had congenital cataract, 31.1 per cent had developmental cataract, and 21.3 per cent had traumatic cataract. The boys who had congenital cataract were brought to hospital at a younger age compared to girls. Only 55 (33.5 per cent) of the children had presented within three months of detection for congenital cataract or within six months for other types of cataract. Blindness from childhood cataract is a huge challenge in terms of economic loss, social burden and morbidity, with an estimate of about 200,000 children blind from cataract worldwide and about 20,000 to 40,000 children born each year with congenital cataract.

Source: Nigerian Tribune September 17, 2020 01:18 UTC