Six-year-old who watched a tablet with her face inches away loses her sight — a brain tumor was the cause [Health Talk]

[The Financial News] A mother’s intuition saved her six-year-old daughter’s life after she noticed the girl suddenly holding a tablet much closer to her face than usual.
According to The Sun on the 15th (local time), Emma, who lives in Aberdare, Wales, noticed one weekend last February that her daughter Sienna was watching a tablet unusually close to her eyes. Emma said, "I noticed that she was holding the tablet much closer to her face than she normally would," adding, "Since it was the weekend, I decided to keep an eye on her first and then booked an eye appointment for Monday."
Emma’s decision to take Sienna to an eye clinic quickly ended up saving the girl’s life. An eye examination revealed swelling behind Sienna’s optic nerve, and a brain computed tomography (CT) scan taken that same evening detected a brain tumor. Sienna was immediately transferred on an emergency basis to Asan Children’s Hospital.
A detailed examination showed that the tumor was located along the pathway of the optic nerve and was directly compressing it, ultimately causing her to lose her sight. Emma recalled, "From that day on, we were rushing between different hospitals for all kinds of tests. It was all completely overwhelming."
Sienna was hospitalized for three weeks and received intensive treatment, including brain surgery. Because of the tumor’s location, doctors determined that complete surgical removal was not possible, so she is now undergoing an 18‐month course of chemotherapy. According to the medical team, the tumor is a slow-growing benign tumor known as a WHO grade I glioma, and there is a possibility that her vision may recover after treatment.
Glioma is a tumor that arises from glial cells inside the brain and spinal cord. Among brain cancers that occur in children older than six months, pediatric low-grade glioma is one of the most common types. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies gliomas into four grades based on their malignancy, and grades I and II fall into the low-grade glioma category.
Experts advise parents to take their children to an eye clinic or pediatrician immediately if they suddenly start holding screens or books very close to their face, or if they show symptoms such as headaches, vomiting, or deteriorating vision. Pediatric brain tumors are easily mistaken for other illnesses even after symptoms appear, so early detection has a decisive impact on treatment outcomes.
bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter