The Glow, medically known as leukocoria, is an abnormal reflection from the retina of the eye, and often appears as a white, opaque, or yellow spot in the pupil of the eye in photos taken with flash.  This should not be confused with the common red eye (red circle in the pupil of the eye) which is a healthy and normal reflection.  The Glow can indicate more than 20 different eye diseases and conditions.

Unusual glows can occur when the child is looking away from the camera.  Search for Glows where the child is looking directly at the camera and a flash is being used.  Our motto is “See it once, be Alert.  See it twice and in the same eye, be Active!” 

Most childhood eye diseases are preventable, treatable, or curable if identified early—up to 80 percent of the time! It is important to Know the Glow and take action if you are seeing the glow on more than one occasion and in the same eye.

One in 80 children will present with The Glow before the age of nine. According to the American Optometric Association, vision disorders are the most prevalent condition in childhood. At least 10 percent of children are at risk for undetected vision problems.

The good news is that most eye diseases (approximately 80 percent) are preventable, treatable or curable if detected early. The best method for identifying eye-related conditions and maintaining eye health is for all children to receive periodic comprehensive eye exams by an eye specialist, starting at 6 months of age. We recommend making sure your child receives a red reflex test as part of the comprehensive eye exam. Red reflex testing is vital for early detection of vision—and potentially life-threatening—abnormalities.*

*American Academy of Pediatrics (2008), Volume 122(6).

• Check your photos or take new photos of your child.
  • Because The Glow may not always show up, review or look back at family photos, especially where your child is looking at the camera.
  • Make sure to take or use photos where the flash is turned on and the red eye reduction featured is turned off.
• Look for The Glow, a white, opaque, or yellow spot in the pupil of one or both eyes. If you see The Glow once, be alert, but if you see it twice in the same eye, be active.
• Ask an eye specialist—an optometrist or ophthalmologist—for a comprehensive eye exam, including a red reflex test. If you do have photos of your child showing The Glow, bring them with you to your appointment.
• Please help us spread the word, especially to parents of young children.

Because no child should go blind from a preventable eye disease.

No.  The most important step you can take is to promptly schedule an appointment with your child’s optometrist or pediatric ophthalmologist. Make sure your child receives a red reflex test as part of the comprehensive eye exam.

Remember, if caught early, nearly 80 percent of all childhood blindness is preventable, treatable, or curable. Taking quick action for your child is the best thing you can do.

Parents or family members are often the first to notice a white, opaque or yellow spot in the pupil of their child’s eye in photos taken with flash.

If you see The Glow once, be alert. If you see it twice and in the same eye, be active. Promptly schedule an appointment with a optometrist or ophthalmologist.   Make sure your child receives a red reflex test as part of the comprehensive eye exam. It may also be helpful to bring copies of the photos showing The Glow.

The red reflex test allows the eye specialist to test for the presence of glow-related diseases and conditions. This test is not difficult for the specialist to perform, and is not painful for the child.

The Glow may indicate at least 20 different eye diseases or conditions, 80 percent of which are preventable, treatable or curable if detected early.

• The Glow can indicate at least 20 different eye diseases and conditions. To learn more about each, click the resources below.

  Amblyopia

  Decreased eyesight due to miscommunication between the brain and the eye, commonly referred to as ‘lazy eye.’

  • American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS)
  • Children’s Eye Foundation
  • Patch Inc.
  • Go Check Kids Mobile Vision Diagnostics

  Brown Syndrome

  Limited ability to look upward and inward in one eye because of problems with tendons behind the eye itself

  • AAPOS
  • NORD

  Cataract

  The development of a cloudy or opaque area behind the iris, which can distort and blur images.

  • American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)
  • AAPOS
  • Pediatric Ophthalmic Consultants
  • The Pediatric Glaucoma & Cataract Family Association (PGCFA)

  Choroidal Osteoma

  A benign tumor beneath the retina, which causes vision loss by affecting the optic nerve or local circulation.

  • Ocular Melanoma Foundation (OMF)
  • The Eye Cancer Foundation

  Coats’ Disease

  Abnormal development of blood vessels behind the retina, which can burst and damage retinal attachment.

  • JMCDF

  Coloboma

  A hole in one of the internal or external structures of the eye.

  • American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS)
  • Delta Gamma Center For Children with Visual Impairments
  • National Eye Institue (NEI)
  • The Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD)

  Congenital Cataract

  A child is born with a cloudy or opaque area behind the iris, which can distort and blur images.

  • American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)
  • AAPOS
  • Pediatric Ophthalmic Consultants
  • The Pediatric Glaucoma & Cataract Family Association (PGCFA)

  FEVR

  The leakage of blood vessels in the retina, which can cause retinal tears, visual damage and blindness.

  • FEVR.net
  • The Vision Research ROPARD Foundation

  Intraocular Medulloepithelioma

  A rare congenital tumor inside the eye.

  • The Eye Cancer Foundation

  Norrie Disease 

  A congenital genetic disorder that damages the retina, often causing severe visual damage and blindness, among other associated physical problems.

  • National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
  • Norrie Disease Association

  PHPV

  Congenital eye disease caused by improper fetal development, affecting the vitreous area of the eye.

  • American Foundation for the Blind
  • Institut De La Vision
  • Thomas Marshall Does It All

  Refractive Error

  The shape of the eye itself alters visual ability. The four main types are nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia

  • American Academy of Opthalmology (AAO)
  • Boston Children’s Hospital
  • Children’s Eye Foundation (the foundation of AAPOS)
  • Sight for Kids

  Retinal Detachment

  When the retina is lifted or pulled from its original position, disturbing the ability to transmit visual information to the brain. This is a medical emergency.

  • American Academy of Opthalmology (AAO)
  • National Eye Institute (NEI)

  Retinal Dysplasia

  Retinal dysplasia is characterized by the folding or clumping of the retina, and can be caused by viral infections, drugs, vitamin A deficiency and genetic factors.

  • Retina Research Foundation

  Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)

  Abnormal development of blood vessels in the retina among infants.

  • American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS)
  • Helen Keller Foundation
  • National Eye Institute
  • Pediatric Ophthalmic Consultants
  • The Vision Research ROPARD Foundation (VRRF)
  • The Bernadotte Foundation for Children’s Eyecare, Inc.

  Retinoblastoma

  Cancer of the retina.

  • Retinoblastoma International
  • The Eye Cancer Foundation

  Strabismus

  Being “cross-eyed”: lacking the ability to simultaneously align both eyes.

  • American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS)
  • Patch Inc.

  Toxocariasis

  Eye infection caused by parasites.

  • American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)
  • Healthy Children
  • National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)

  Trauma

  Eye trauma, often the result of corneal abrasions and harmful foreign bodies entering the eye.

  • AAPOS

  Von Hippel Lindau

  Tumors in the eye due to a rare genetic disorder.

  • National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
  • VHL Alliance