6-week old baby - no red reflex seen

[esgill]

My daughter was seen by my GP today as part of our 6-week postpartum review. Everything was okay except the GP said she couldn't see baby's red reflex. She said it wasn't anything to worry about but referred my daughter for an urgent ophthalmologist appointment.

Of course now I'm worried sick reading about possible causes, including congenital cataracts, cancer and other life-threatening or sight-threatening conditions.

Our daughter is half-East Asian so I wondered if this could affect how visible the red reflex is? I read somewhere that it looks different in different ethnicities/can be harder to see. Wondering if there's anything to do while we wait/if a trip to Sick Kids would yield any quicker answers...

Good newa

That’s great news what a relief for you 😊

Excellent news OP

Hi, hope all is well with your DD. My child 6mo has recently due for her congenital cataract surgery in a weeks time. However ours was developed after the 6-8 weeks check- or perhaps missed, either way, we’re having surgery soon. Please if you can, let us know on how it went! All my fingers crossed it’s nothing for you .

Thanks for your post. We have faced this situation recently during my baby 6 weeks checkup with GP the doctor said red reflex was missing in my baby both eyes and she referred my baby to ophthalmologist. We got the ophthalmologist appointment on the following week. I have gone through so many articles in the internet and was scared by reading all those. We were heartbroken and literally didn’t slept for that whole week. I have read this post also during my difficult time.
Fortunately during the ophthalmologist appointment all goes well the red reflex is visible clearly to optometrist and everything is good.
At the initial GP appointment my baby is very cranky and eyes are filled with tears may be the doctor in GP appointment couldn’t able to see the red reflex properly may be that’s why she referred to ophthalmologist. If anyone is facing this difficult situation just I want to share our experience, the gp test results may not be accurate if the baby is cranky or with watery eyes during appointment time. Thanks.

In the same boat. Had the baby's 8 weeks check and the doctor could not find the red reflex. Called another doctor who asked to dim lights and she could slightly see it. We are being referred because the reflex is more white than red (not sure what to make of it). My baby has pitch black eyes.

The doctor said she previously referred a baby of Black ethnicity because of white reflex but it turned out fine.

Very pleased to say that it turned out to be a false positive after meeting the opthalmologist.
Some more helpful links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/newborn-and-infant-physical-examination-programme-handbook/newborn-and-infant-physical-examination-screening-programme-handbook#:~:text=White%20babies%20have%20an%20orange,determine%20the%20expected%20reflex%20colour

https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2019-02-04/new-device-could-help-save-babies-sight-and-lives

https://heiw.nhs.wales/files/48482-nipec-eyes-web-pdf/