Cancer alert included in child red book

Parents will be taught that the appearance of a whitish light on the eye, a squint, a sore or swollen eye or a deterioration in vision could be signs of life-threatening retinoblastoma.

The absence of red eye in a photograph in one pupil could also point towards the aggressive cancer.

Information about the disease will be published in the personal child health record, also known as the red book, given to every parent upon the birth of their child.

The move could save the sight of many children, the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust said. Most children with the rare cancer lose an eye, and occasionally both, which could be prevented with earlier diagnosis.

Trust chief executive Joy Felgate said: “Early diagnosis is essential to offer the child the best chance of saving their sight. Parents need this information to enable them to act immediately if they notice the symptoms in their child’s eyes.”