Check your child’s photos for a white glow in the eye

You are looking at a photo of your child. The flash has lit both pupils red, or they look dark, the way they have in photos for years. This page is about the one photo where a pupil looks white instead. Looking back through your photos takes a few minutes; after that, it is something to notice if a new photo or dim light shows it.

If a photo, or dim light, shows a white glow in the middle of your child’s pupil, ask for an urgent eye examination and do not wait for the next routine check.

What to look for

The NHS describes it as a white glow or white reflection in the centre of the eye, the pupil, which you may notice in low light or in photos taken with a flash. The American Academy of Ophthalmology puts it the same way: when light shines in the eye, as with a flash, a pupil that is usually dark can look white. The US National Cancer Institute calls it a pupil that looks white instead of red when light shines into it.

One person explains what a white reflection can mean: the light is not coming back red because something is wrong, either damage to the retina or something blocking the view, such as a tumour or a cataract. Some people say it does not always mean cancer, and can be a cataract or another cause, but that it is never a good sign and needs a professional look either way.

One person says a child with a darker complexion can have a usual reflex that looks hazy yellow or pale orange rather than red. This page cannot tell a normal pale-orange look from a worrying one by description. That is what the examination is for, and if you are unsure about a photo, the examination is how you find out.

A photo is not the only sign. The NHS also lists a squint, where the eyes point in different directions, the coloured part of the eye changing colour, swelling around the eye, uncontrolled eye movements, vision problems and pain in one or both eyes. The National Cancer Institute adds redness of the eye, an enlarged eyeball and infection around the eye.

Why it is worth a call even though it is rare

The NHS describes retinoblastoma, the eye cancer this warning is about, as rare, and says it can affect young children. The National Cancer Institute says it occurs most often in children younger than 2 years. Some people point out that parents already carry a long list of worries about a baby’s safety, and that this adds one more. It does, and the task is small: look at your photos, and make a phone call if you see the sign.

The reason to act quickly is what the NHS says about the outcome: retinoblastoma can usually be treated successfully if found early. It also says there is a high chance of losing some or all of the sight in the affected eye, and that treatment can include laser, freezing, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or an operation, which sometimes means removing the eye, with an artificial eye fitted afterwards. One person warns that waiting too long can lead to losing the eye, where finding it early allows other treatments.

Who to ask

In the UK, the NHS says to ask for an urgent GP or optician’s appointment, or call NHS 111, if you notice a white glow in the centre of your child’s pupil. It says that if your child is referred to a specialist, the appointment should happen within 2 weeks. One person says a parent in the UK goes through a GP or an optician to be referred on to an eye specialist, which fits that route.

In the United States, the National Cancer Institute says the eye is examined after drops widen the pupil, and that a pediatric ophthalmologist, a children’s eye doctor, is part of the treatment team. One person pointed out that the right specialist is an ophthalmologist, a medical doctor, rather than an optometrist. The American Academy of Ophthalmology also says an ophthalmologist makes the diagnosis. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says to call your child’s doctor right away if you notice anything unusual about your child’s eyes, and the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus says a child with a white pupil should see an eye doctor right away. So in the US, call your child’s doctor today, say what you saw and ask for an urgent eye examination. This page does not cover cost or insurance, so ask about both when you book.

One person says doctors and nurses can dismiss symptoms in children who cannot describe what is wrong. If you have seen a white glow and are told it is nothing, the NHS still lists it as a reason for urgent help, so it is fair to ask whether an eye specialist should see your child.

Routine checks, and your own photos

In the UK, the NHS says a baby’s eyes are looked at in the newborn physical examination, within 72 hours of birth and again at 6 to 8 weeks, which includes checking for childhood cataracts. One person says pediatricians check eyes at well-child visits until a set age. One person pointed out that a routine check should catch a white pupil but can miss it, saying a pediatrician missed it at six months in their case. Looking at your own photos is an extra, not a replacement for those checks.

One person says some phones remove red-eye from photos automatically, which can hide a white pupil, and that you can turn that feature off or look at the eye when the camera’s focus light comes on. The NHS says you may also notice it in low light, so a flash photo is not the only way to see it.

When people call the warning fear-mongering

Some people dismissed it as fear-mongering or a conspiracy, and others defended it, citing cases where finding it early made the difference. The NHS, the National Cancer Institute and the American Academy of Ophthalmology each list a white pupil among the signs, so this is not a hoax. Nor is it a reason to feel alarmed about every photo.

Who this page is not for

This page cannot diagnose anything. If your child already has an eye diagnosis, your child’s treatment team is the place to ask. If your child is seriously unwell, or an eye is swollen or painful, or they seem unable to see, do not look through photos first: use the contacts in the box at the top: your child’s doctor or NHS 111 for an eye problem, and 911 or 999 if your child is seriously unwell. It is about your own child’s photos; it does not suggest photographing other people’s children to check them. And it is written for babies and young children, since the National Cancer Institute says retinoblastoma occurs most often under 2; an adult with a changed eye, or a child with some other eye complaint, should see their own doctor or an optician.