CHILDREN caring for invalid parents are living in fear that their families will be broken up if they make too much fuss about their plight, writes Alan MacDermid, Medical Correspondent.

Their anguish was revealed yesterday by a survey which showed that one in five young carers - of whom there are officially estimated to be 5000 in Scotland - were missing school.

A third of those in secondary schools were experiencing difficulties like persistent lateness and lack of time to do homework.

Officials of the Carers' National Association, which published the survey, emphasised that the children's fears were unjustified, since social work departments had no wish to take children into care if they could avoid it.

But Shirley Cusack, of Edinburgh Young Carers Project, said the children's reticence was one reason for their teachers not becoming aware of their situation.

Family doctors, nurses, and pharmacists are being targeted in a campaign by the Princess Royal Trust for Carers to obtain more help for children and adults who are housebound by having to care for invalid relatives.

The trust's Scottish director, Colin Williams, said: ''There is a lot of rhetoric about the number of carers in the community, but no- one has a precise focus on who they are, where they live, and what kind of help they need.

''If we can get the health professionals to get in touch with these hidden carers it will help us to find support and welfare benefits.

''Carers have a right to have their own needs assessed - we would like to be able to provide some tangible evidence of their needs, and ensure they know about sources of help which they may not be using, and it will help the agencies to target support where it is needed.''

The trust has raised money and sponsorship from major companies to open a network of carer centres.