[Cataract in childhood: socioeconomic and gestational profiles and neuropsychomotor development].

Purpose: To analyze the socioeconomic and gestational profiles, and the neuropsychomotor development of patients with infantile cataract cared for at a medical ophthalmologic center in Pernambuco state, Brazil.

Methods: A standardized questionnaire was applied, in October and November 2003, to the parents of children who underwent child cataract surgery at the Altino Ventura Foundation.

Results: Of the 40 patients, 23 were females (57.0%) and 17 males (43.0%). Most of the mothers (65.0%) and fathers (55.0%) of the children informed that they had not finished elementary school. The family income was between 1 and 3 minimum wages in 70.0% of the cases. As for the parental marital status, 40.0% of them were married. Thirty-nine mothers (97.5%) underwent prenatal exams, 37 reported that they had not received rubella immunization (92.5%), and 13 reported rubella during their pregnancy (32.5%). Three mothers reported consanguinity with their husbands and 5 were exposed to medications during pregnancy. Most of the patients had a neuropsychomotor development within limits considered normal by other studies. Fourteen patients (35.0%) were 6 years or older when the interview was performed. Eleven (78.6%) of these children attended school and 45.4% of them had to repeat the school grade.

Conclusion: It was observed in the studied sample that the patients were characterized by being part of a low-income population. Less than half of the interviewed parents were married and the patients presented low school performance. Insufficiencies in the health system as regards immunization against rubella was identified.