The reason for the change in eye color in babies is a pigment called melanin, the same pigment responsible for the color of skin and hair. If babys eyes are clear, bright blue, they are most likely staying blue. By that point, the iris has stashed enough pigment so youll be able to better predict what the final hue will be. At birth, she can focus on objects 8 to 15 inches away just the right distance to gaze at your face when you hold her. They may begin slate-gray or deep blue, but over time, melanin in his iris begins to respond to light, turning the pigment in his iris a deeper blue, green, hazel, gray, amber or light or dark brown. Some eye disease can affect color if they involve the iris, which is the muscular ring around the pupil that controls pupil contracting and dilating when we go from [a] dark to light place, and vice versa, says Katherine Williamson, MD, FAAP. Other eye diseases arent visible, however, like color blindness or glaucoma. Occasionally, a childs eye color can change for up to 3 years, but this isnt common. Its a good idea to hold off on buying the adorable outfit that matches your babys eye color at least until your little one reaches their first birthday. Here's how to tell when (and if!) Get your fill gazing at those baby blues now, Mom, because theres a chance they could become brown (or go green). Enjoy Those Blue Eyes Now. Last medically reviewed on June 10, 2020, While babies' eyes are developed by the time they are born, it takes up to 2 years for eyesight to fully develop. Brunette, blonde, or redhead? WhatToExpect.com, Your newborn babys appearance, May 2017. https://www.parents.com//physical/when-do-babies-eyes-change-color And when it comes to the color your babys eyes will take on, the odds are stacked in favor of brown eyes. Whats responsible for this magical transformation in your little ones eye color? The most significant changes in your babys eye colour may be noticed between 6 to 9 months of age. What You Need to Know About Pacifiers and Dental Problems, aniridia, the complete or partial absence of the iris, so youll see little or no eye color and, instead, a large or misshapen pupil. Darkening occurs if melanin, a brown pigment usually not present at birth, develops with age. your baby will go through a change in eye color. Bald Baby: When Will They Start Growing Hair? Its many genes acting in collaboration. Baby Acne: What to Do If Your Infant Has It. Heres how genetics influence who your baby-to-be, It's an oft-repeated myth that all babies are born with blue eyes. Therefore, the colour of your babys eyes may depend on the genetic reasons, and the melanin may also play an active part in determining the eye colour of your baby. A childs true eye colour cannot be determined until around their second birthday. Due to the production of melanin, their eyes may begin to darken. If your blue-eyed newborn is destined for another hue, you will notice the irises gradually turning green, then hazel, and finally brown. You can thank genetics for your babys eye color. Debra Rose Wilson, PhD, MSN, RN, IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT, Camera Worthy, Precious Milestones to Look For in Your 1-Year-Old Baby. Well help you separate fact from. The production of melanin can change over time, which will mean that eye color is affected. The first 69 months is generally when you will see the most changes in your babys eye color. His eye colour may look different when he turns 3 months, 6 months, or even 12 months of age. Which means youll have plenty of time to place your bets in the baby eye color pool. As a matter of fact, eyes lack blue, gray, green, or hazel pigment. Although uncommon, thats why your children may have blue eyes even though you and your partner have brown. The most dramatic eye color changes will probably occur when your child is between the ages of 3 and 6 months old. More likely, two blue-eyed parents will have a child with blue eyes, just like two brown-eyed parents will likely have a brown-eyed child. What role does melanin play in babys eye color? When does eye color change? Change in Eye Color over Time. A baby's eye color may also reveal congenital diseases and other conditions. At birth your babys eyes may appear gray or blue due to a lack of pigment. That is, the genetics that both parents contribute. African-American, Hispanic and Asian babies are almost always born with dark eyes that stay dark, though the shade may change slightly during the first year. Now the question arises is when do babies eyes change color? Eye color changes mainly in the first 6 to 9 months of babys life. But be patient! As melanocytes in the iris respond to light and secrete melanin, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says the color of a babys irises will begin to change. If they secrete just a little bit more, your baby's eyes will look green or hazel. This means that the mothers eye color will have a direct influence on the babys eye color, though they may not be the same. The color change does slow down some after the first 6 months of life, but there can be plenty of change left at that point. 2021Everyday Health, Inc. Although the change in the babys eye color is a gradual process, it is not notable for a longer period. Most babies are born with blue eyes because darker pigments in the iris aren't completely developed at birth. So when do babies' eyes change color? The educational health content on What To Expect is reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts to be up-to-date and in line with the latest evidence-based medical information and accepted health guidelines, including the medically reviewed What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff. The transition period of the change in the babys eye color begins at the moment when the baby is delivered from the womb. In general, children inherit their eye color from their parents, a combination of the eye colors of Mom and Dad. Babies whose eyes are different colorsknown as heterochromiamay have Waardenburg syndrome, a genetic condition that can cause hearing loss in one or both ears. The pigment is actually all brown in appearance, but the amount present in the iris can determine if you have blue, green, hazel, or brown eyes, he explains. And the more melanin you have, the darker your eyes become. Id say by nine to 12 months, for the majority of babies this colour is locked in. Melanin, a type of pigment that contributes to your hair and skin color, also plays a role in iris color. Here's how to tell what color hair your baby-to-be might have. The stability of the color will only be seen at around six months this is when you will stand a chance of determining your babys true eye color. In a minority of kids, though, eye colour can keep getting darker up until age five or six. Alexandrias Genesis: Can Your Eyes Really Change Color? Without melanin, the baby's iris layer (the colored part of the eyes) is grey/blue from birth to about 9 months. By this time, the iris has let out enough pigment for you to predict the final color that will be permanent. Also, by transparency, only the deep layer of the iris is visible and gives this blue-grey color to all babies. Such change starts around the age of six months. Health information on this site is based on peer-reviewed medical journals and highly respected health organizations and institutions including ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists), CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics), as well as the What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff. But Caucasian babies are usually born with dark blue or even slate-gray eyes that may change several times before the first birthday. The other genes can pair with these two genes and create a continuum of eye colors in different people, according to the Genetics Home Reference. While some babys eyes are blue or gray at birth, as the study above noted, many are brown from the start. In reality, it depends on a number of factors including how much melanin your baby, With less time to develop in the womb, premature babies are more likely to have health issues. More specifically, a 2016 study involving 192 newborns found that the birth prevalence of iris color was: 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. This typically occurs over their first year of life, with the color change slowing down after 6 months. This educational content is not medical or diagnostic advice. Get your fill gazing at those pretty brown because they may change soon enough. This is a slow process and can take months to be complete. The most dramatic eye color changes will probably occur when your child is between the ages of 3 and 6 months old. In fact, the AAO says as many as 16 different genes could be involved, with the two most common genes being OCA2 and HERC2. Despite how it appears, the color of the pigment in a babys eye doesnt cause change. As your baby matures past the newborn stage, the melanocytes will begin to produce melanin, resulting in changing skin tone, changing hair color, and yes, changing eye color. Iris color in lighter-skinned babies is usually a blue or bluish-gray color at birth, then changes as they grow. 2005-2021 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. As soon as you find out youre pregnant, you might start to wonder what your child will look like. Depending on how much melanin is secreted, your baby's eye color may slowly begin to change after birth. You likely wont notice it all of a sudden; it will often appear fairly gradually. Melanin, produced by cells, is the pigment thats responsible for giving you the color of your skin and hair (or at least the hair color you had as a kid). And early in life, eye colour can change. There is no telling how much hair a little one will have. Melanin production changes during the first year of life, usually resulting in a darker, deeper eye color than is seen at birth. Once exposed to light, the eye color will most likely start to change to blue, green, hazel, or brown over a period of six months to one year. But its also about the age you can safely say your babys eye color is set. Heterochromia, which is characterized by irises that dont match in color in the same individual, can happen: While all babies develop at different rates, experts say if you notice two different eye colors or a lightening of eye color by 6 or 7 months of age, its a good idea to contact your pediatrician. What does melanin have to do with eye color? After a baby is born, her body continue to secrete more melanin. Your baby's eyes may be a beautiful shade of blue or brown now, but will that always be the case? However, Daniel Ganjian, MD, a pediatrician at Providence Saint Johns Health Center, says the most significant changes in color occur between 3 and 6 months. Because it takes about a year for melanocytes to finish their work it can be a dicey business calling eye color before the babys first birthday. At 12 months, many babies have their 'final' eye color. Eyes that are a darker shade from birth tend to stay dark, while some eyes that began a lighter shade will also darken as melanin production increases. American Academy of Pediatrics, Newborn eye color, May 2012. 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. It is then almost impossible to determine the final baby eye color. But if and even when shell change eye color is anyones guess. If your baby has blue eyes, their melanocytes are secreting only a little melanin. If your baby has brown eyes, you can thank the hardworking melanocytes for secreting a lot of melanin to produce a darker color. All babies will have hair eventually. Babies' eyes change color about six to nine months after birth. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Your babys eye color is just as unique as she is! The colour of a babys eyes may change up to 1 year, while in some babies, the colour may not change until they turn 3 If your baby has brown eyes, the melanocytes are secreting a lot of melanin. Your baby's eyes start out as two tiny outgrowths from the developing brain. Most non-Hispanic Caucasian babies are born with blue eyes that can darken in their first three years of life. Your doctor of optometry will test for many things, including nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism as well as eye movement ability and eye alignment. However, some can take up to 3 years to settle into a permanent eye color. In the womb, your baby's eyes develop well enough to perceive light, shapes, and some color. All rights reserved. Change of eye color is so gradual that one day the baby can surprise you by opening his/her eyes in the morning with a different eye color. Just a smidgen of melanin and your baby will have blue eyes; add some more and you get green, gray or hazel; even more anda newborn's eyes will be brown or even black. Although you cant predict the exact age your babys 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 theyre about 9 months old. Interpretation Of Baby Eye Color So before you get too attached to those 6-month-old green eyes, just know that some babies will experience changes up to 1 year of age. Some little ones eye color even continues to change hues until theyre 3 years old. Please whitelist our site to get all the best deals and offers from our partners. As more melanin is produced, the eyes start to gradually change color. Gradually, the eye color takes on a different shade as per the genetic inheritance. When Is Eye Color Set? Dont worry if your baby is bald. If they are a darker, cloudier blue, they are most likely going to change to hazel, brown, or a 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. Other reasons your babys eyes change colors, How Our Eyes Grow and Change as We Get Older. When babies with blue eyes see increased pigmentation, it causes an obvious color change. Baby's first eye exam Even if no eye or vision problems are apparent, at about age 6 months , you should take your baby to a doctor of optometry for his or her first thorough eye examination. Fetal Eyesight: What Your Baby Can See in Utero, reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts. But before you go high fiving yourself for passing on your brown eyes, you should know that its not just one gene that determines your little ones eye color. A one year old with darkly pigmented eyes might have been born with blue eyes. Between 6 and 9 months old, your baby's eyes may undergo dramatic color changes. Thats because the eyes you gaze into at birth may look a bit different at 3, 6, 9, and even 12 months of age. Baby eye colour progression Eye colour starts to change in babys first six months, says Kirsten North, an optometrist in Ottawa. And the amount of melanin a person has in their body is determined by genetics. When your child enters the world (and is exposed to bright lights of the birthing room), that light kick-starts melanin production in the iris, which can lead to eye color changes.