Bilateral Congenital Cataract: Deprivation Amblyopia and its relation to development

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the impact of the age of surgery on bilateral congenital cataract (CCB), on changes in cognitive, language and motor development, considering the results of visual function. Methods: This is an ambispective descriptive longitudinal study of the evolution of visual acuity and development, using Teller Acuity Cards, Retinoscopy, and Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third edition. Eight patients with CCB were included to establish the general conditions of onset with a longitudinal follow-up after surgery. Patients were divided into two groups considering the age of treatment (early treatment < 6 months; late treatment > 6 months). We used non-parametric statistics by means of trend test in the two groups using a significance level of p < 0.05. Through a qualitative analysis a description of the visual development was made. Results: Refractive errors decreased progressively with statistically significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.01). The cognitive area exhibited better outcomes with a significant difference (p = 0.012) in the early treatment group. Conclusions: Late surgical treatment led to severe changes in the organization of the visual function, as well as in observable behaviors of the motor, cognitive, and language areas, limiting the comprehensive and proper individuals' development. It is necessary to implement strategies that include visual rehabilitation and early intervention for development changes.