St Andrews experts call for ‘decolonisation’ of infant eye test
Dr Blaikie explains why he and his co-authors are calling for the ‘red reflex’ newborn eye test to be renamed.
Researchers from the University of St Andrews School of Medicine are calling for the renaming of eye examination terminology to help promote racial equality in healthcare.
The ‘red’ reflex test is a crucial eye examination performed in newborns to detect sight-threatening conditions. It involves shining a light into the infant’s eyes to observe the reflection from the retina, which is commonly expected to be red in colour.
However, this expectation is problematic, as it is based on a Eurocentric perspective that assumes a ‘normal’ reflex should be red — a reflection more typical in lighter-skinned individuals.
The call for a name change is included in a pivotal report in Eye Nature , co-authored by consultant ophthalmologist in the NHS Fife and Senior Lecturer Dr Andrew Blaikie, 2022 St Andrews BSc (Hons) Medicine graduate Cieren Kelly, and Honorary Research Fellow Dr Martin Anderson.
The report highlights that in those with darker skin tones the reflex can present in different colours, such as yellow, orange, or less bright hues, leading to misinterpretation, unnecessary referrals, and perpetuating racial biases in healthcare.
Read the full press release on the University of St Andrews news site.