Introduction: Pediatric traumatic cataract is a major cause of preventable childhood visual impairment, particularly in underserved rural populations. Understanding its epidemiology and outcomes is crucial for developing effective interventions. Methods: This prospective and retrospective observational study was conducted at a single tertiary eye care center. Medical records of 826 pediatric patients (≤18 years) diagnosed with traumatic cataract between January 2006 and December 2021 were reviewed. Data on demographics, injury type, causative object, activity at injury, socioeconomic status, visual acuity, and surgical techniques were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests. Results: The mean age was 10.63 ± 4.42 years, with a male predominance (70.2%). A large majority resided in rural areas (90.3%) and belonged to low socioeconomic strata (83.9%). Open globe injuries were more common (60.8%), with wooden sticks and thorns as leading causes (54.2%), followed by stones (9.2%). Playing was the most common activity at the time of injury (67.5%). Preoperatively, 35.2% had hand motion vision, while 21.5% had only light perception. Postoperatively, 27.5% achieved 6/12 or better visual acuity, and 56.4% had an Ocular Trauma Score of 3. Visual outcomes significantly improved post-surgery ( P = 0.001). Greater distance from the hospital negatively impacted visual recovery ( P = 0.001). Conclusion: Traumatic cataract in children predominantly affects school-aged boys in rural, low-income settings, often during play with wooden objects. Timely surgical intervention significantly improves vision. Enhanced awareness, preventive education, and improved accessibility to tertiary care are essential to reduce the burden of childhood ocular trauma.
Shah et al. (2026) studied this question.