Hong Kong  - Children under five years old who often squint should be checked for possible eye cancer, a media report said Monday.

Frequent squinting or pupils that appear to be white could be signs of a growing tumor, the Standard said, quoting a leading eye specialist.

Ophthalmologist Christopher Yu said parents should have infants checked at six to nine months with periodic checks after that to detect signs of the disease, called retinoblastoma.

He said children less than 5 years old are at higher risk because cell division in the retina is still taking place. He cited statistics showing that three in 70,000 newborn babies had eye cancer last year.

Although eye cancer is curable, children can lose their sight if surgery is delayed. Yu pointed out that an 8-month-old boy had both eyes removed because treatment came five months too late.

Brain cancer may even develop if cancer cells spread. (dpa)