Clinical tip: A real eye opener

How many times have you been frustrated trying to open a crying newborn's eye to evaluate red reflexes? I find that the following method usually helps:

When you darken the room, instead of shining the light in the baby's eye first, direct the beam at your face. The baby will almost always open her eyes wide to look at the beam. As soon as she does, redirect the light into her eyes and you will get great red reflexes.

Uday Hiremath, MD, New York, N.Y.

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