Absent red reflex

[Amour]

Hi all,

Was wondering whether anyone had any advice or had similar experience. After my DD's birth, before we were discharged from the hospital she had a health check up which I believe is routine and the HV/MW checked baby over including her eyes and everything was satisfactory.

Baby has just had her 6 week check up and I had been informed by the Dr that she couldn't see the red reflex when checking babies eyes. I am driving myself crazy with worry and cannot sleep hence writing this as 03:50am. I've googled and have made myself even more worried.

I've taken pictures and baby doesn't have red eyes in any of the zillion pictures but I don't really have them either which may be down to us having really dark eyes/ pupils.

I'm wondering whether her red reflex would have been observed before discharge? If so I assume it can't then just disappear?

Anyone experience anything similar?

 

[Bunanie]

Yep, my baby doesn't have the red reflex on photos, due to her small pupils.

I'm an optometrist and I checked her eyes myself, it's all normal.

Some people just don't have red eye photos, however the red reflex is dead easy to see with the ophthalmoscope (but its quite well known in our work that some GPs just don't know how to use it properly )

Get a second opinion if you are worried but hopefully (likely) its nothing

 

[Amour]

Yep, my baby doesn't have the red reflex on photos, due to her small pupils.

I'm an optometrist and I checked her eyes myself, it's all normal.

Some people just don't have red eye photos, however the red reflex is dead easy to see with the ophthalmoscope (but its quite well known in our work that some GPs just don't know how to use it properly )

Get a second opinion if you are worried but hopefully (likely) its nothing

@Bunanie
Thank you so much for your reply.

I wish I was able to do the test myself. I'm waiting for a referral to a specialist but I may try and take baby to an optometrist to get an eye exam.

Can I ask, if there was a problem what would I notice? Would baby still be able to see, smile back at me, follow me with her eyes? Would her eyes look a certain way?

Thanks again!!

 

[Amour]

Just in case it helps anyone who may read this sometime and are going through something similar.

I went to the eye hospital as I just couldn't wait for a referral and praise God everything is fine. I'm currently looking into ways how I can support parents with sick children. I'm starting to understand some of the anxiety they go through.

 

[Bunanie]

Yay, thank god everything is ok. We worry so much as parents, starting from antenatal checks... Dr google sometimes does no good either (but i personally google everything hahaha)


Yay feel so relieved for you