Why Are Baby Eyes Blue?
Skip to content
Many babies appear to have blue eyes when are born, but be aware that their color will probably change. Melanin, which is the brown pigment that provides color to our skin and eyes, has not been fully deposited in our eyes as a newborn baby. As a baby’s eyes are exposed to light, the melanin production is started in the iris.
The iris is the colored part of the eyes that regulates how much light enters our pupils. When the iris contains a lot melanin, eyes appear brown. Less melanin gives us green, gray, or light brown eyes. If very small amounts of melanin is deposited then we have blue eyes. People diagnosed with albinism have no melanin deposited and their eyes have a pink hue.
The production of melanin increases mostly during the first year of life. At 6 months of age a baby’s eye color has usually been determined. However in some cases a babies eye color can continue to change after 6 months of age and continue to change up to 3 years.
Green eyes can continue to change into hazel and hazel can turn into brown, but brown eyes will not turn into blue eyes. In 10% of the population there can be continued eye color change into adulthood. Even though babies are born with blue eyes, the genetics of their parents will ultimately determine thir eye color.
SEO Manager 2022-04-05T15:50:12-04:00 Page load link Go to Top
Do green eyes start off blue?
Melanin – The other factor that determines baby eye color is melanin, the pigment that gives skin, hair and eyes their color. Melanin production starts the moment baby’s eyes see light for the first time after birth. “The most important reason why the eyes have different colors is how much pigment there is on the back part of the iris,” Jaafar says.
- A baby who has a lot of melanin in the iris will have brown or very dark brown eyes, while a baby with a small amount of pigment will have blue or green eyes.
- The amount of melanin that’s added to baby’s eyes as she gets older influences eye color as well.
- As they’re growing, some children pick up more and more pigment in the back of the iris.
The irises are going to become darker, so they’ll change from bright blue to a dark blue to green or even to hazel,” Jaafar says. “You may have two siblings who are born with the same color iris, but in one baby there’ll be significant pigment progression and that child will have hazel eyes, while the other sibling will have a slow progression and that child will end up with blue eyes.”
Do 2 year olds eyes stay blue?
How can I tell if my baby’s eyes will stay blue? – There’s always a chance that your baby’s blue eyes will be permanent, but it’s more likely they’ll become hazel, green or brown before they even take their first steps. Eye color change will often taper off around six months, but some babies’ eyes keep changing hues for a year or even up to three.
Until then, there’s no way to know for certain what color your baby’s eyes will ultimately be. And while it isn’t entirely foolproof, a pretty good indicator of whether or not your child’s eye color will change is to inspect their eyes from the side. If their eyes are clear and bright blue, they may stay that way.
If their eyes are a darker blue and there are flecks of gold throughout, they may change to hazel, green or brown.
At what age is a babies eye color permanent?
– Your baby’s first birthday is a significant milestone, especially if they get to dive into a cake for the first time. But it’s also about the age you can safely say your baby’s eye color is set. “Typically, a baby’s eyes can change color during the first year of life,” says Benjamin Bert, MD, an ophthalmologist at Memorial Care Orange Coast Medical Center.
However, Daniel Ganjian, MD, a pediatrician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center, says the most significant changes in color occur between 3 and 6 months. But the hue you see at 6 months may still be a work in progress — which means you should wait a few months (or more) before filling in the eye color section of the baby book.
Although you can’t predict the exact age your baby’s eye color will be permanent, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) says most babies have the eye color that will last their lifetime by the time they’re about 9 months old. However, some can take up to 3 years to settle into a permanent eye color.
63% brown20.8% blue 5.7% green/hazel9.9% indeterminate0.5% partial heterochromia (a variation in coloration)
The researchers also found that there were significantly more white/Caucasian infants with blue eyes and more Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and Black/African American infants with brown eyes. Now that you have a better understanding of when your baby’s eyes may change color (and become permanent), you might be wondering what’s going on behind the scenes to make this transformation occur.
Can a baby born with blue eyes turn green?
When Will Your Baby’s Eyes Change Color? > Back to Top You may have heard that if your newborn has blue or light gray eyes, there’s a chance they could become brown (or go green) as she gets older. But if and even when your baby will experience eye color changes is anyone’s guess. What’s responsible for this magical transformation in your little one’s eye color? The answer depends on the amount of melanin in the iris (the colored part of the eye) — which, in turn, is determined by the genes your baby has inherited from each parent — as well as other factors.