Have you noticed baby’s eyes changing color and are now wondering why do babies’ eyes change color? And when do babies’ eyes change color? Find out all you need to know.
Gazing into the eyes of your newborn… there’s nothing quite like it ‒ whenever they’re open, that is!
But if you get the opportunity, you might have noticed that mysterious feature of baby eyes: baby eye color can change – and it usually gets darker.
So, if it’s always changing, when can you tell a baby’s eye color? And what color will gray baby eyes turn, for example? Can two brown-eyed parents have a blue-eyed child? Well, we’ve got some answers.
But of course, not every baby is the same. That would be too easy!
What may be true for many babies may not be true for yours. So, let’s take a peek.
In this article: 📝
- Do all newborns have blue eyes?
- What determines baby’s eye color?
- What color will my baby’s eyes be?
- When do babies get their eye color?
Do all newborns have blue eyes?
First off, is it true that all babies are born with blue eyes? While “baby blues” is a well-known phrase, it’s not actually the most common eye color in newborn babies.
In fact, according to this study, only 20% of newborns had blue eyes at birth, compared to 63% of babies born with brown eyes.
What determines baby’s eye color?
When we talk about baby eye color, we’re really talking about the color of the iris.
Forget the pupil – that will always be black. And the whites, meanwhile, will usually stay white.
From baby to baby, from human to human, however, the iris changes color.
That’s the muscle around the pupil that controls the amount of light that gets in. And baby eye color depends on a little thing called melanin.
What is melanin in babies’ eyes?
When it comes to baby eye color, melanin is where it’s at.
Melanin is the protein that’s famously responsible for your hair and skin color.
But it can create cooler baby eye colors.
That’s right, those blues and greens are made by the same stuff that changes the color of your hair.
Do babies get eye color from mom or dad?
Yes, generally speaking, baby’s eye color will be determined by their parents’ eye color.
So the best baby eye color predictor will be you!
Let’s break it down:
- If both parents have blue eyes, baby will also likely have blue eyes
- If both parents have brown eyes, baby will also likely have brown eyes
- If both parents have green eyes, baby will also likely have green eyes
- If both parents have hazel eyes, baby will also likely have hazel eyes
- Can two brown-eyed parents have a blue-eyed child? It’s pretty rare, but has been known to happen. Usually, it’s because one of the parents has a recessive gene for blue eyes, probably passed down from their parents.
- Can two blue eyes make a brown-eyed baby? They certainly can, and it’s more common than you might think ‒ around 25% of babies born to blue-eyed parents can have brown eyes.
- If one parent has brown eyes and the other has blue eyes, there’s a pretty equal chance that baby could be born with either brown or blue eyes.
- What about one green-eyed and one blue-eyed parent? Again, it’s pretty equal chances of baby having either green or blue eyes.
- Brown-eyed and green-eyed parents? Chances are, baby will have brown eyes, but babies born with blue or green eyes aren’t unheard of, either.
Do grandparents’ eye color affect baby?
Yes! Grandparents’ eye color can also impact baby’s eye color.
Baby eye color is genetic, and genes pass from generation to generation.
So if one grandparent had blue eyes, but the other had brown eyes, and you were born with brown eyes, and had a baby with another brown-eyed person, there is a chance that baby could be born with blue eyes.
What color will my baby’s eyes be?
Melanin is a matter of genes. And that means baby eye color is, too.
So, if you and your partner have dark brown eyes (the most common baby eye color), expect your baby will have them too.
That means they have lots of melanin. If you both have blue eyes, there is a much greater chance that your baby’s eyes will stay that color when they’re all grown up (and that means very little melanin).
The greens and light browns happen somewhere in the middle.
But genes aren’t that simple.
As we mentioned earlier, if there are blue eyes anywhere in your family, for example, a blue-eyed baby suddenly becomes much more likely.
This means predicting your baby’s eye color isn’t always easy.
While your genes can give you a pretty good guess, an accurate baby eye color calculator is just a bit too much to ask. Maybe one day!
Read also: Are All Babies Born with Blue Eyes?
When do babies get their eye color?
Newborn eye color is not necessarily the color they’ll have as they grow.
A baby with gray eyes or blue eyes at birth is pretty common, but this can change.
So exactly when do babies’ eyes change color?
It’s best not to expect them to stabilize fully until around their first birthday.
This is because the cells that produce melanin keep on working for at least six months after birth.
A little patience is in order then. Baby eye color can change anywhere up to a year – and in some cases even beyond.
In very rare instances, eye color can keep getting darker up until the age of five or six.
Read more: When Do Babies Eyes Change? We Asked the Expert!
Can baby eyes get lighter?
Actually, baby eye colors tend to darken as they get older. That’s down to that melanin again.
It is possible for baby’s eye color to get lighter, mind you.
However, if this is happening – or if your baby’s eyes are different colors – you might want to talk to a doctor.
With very light eyes, there is a slight chance your baby may have problems with vision later in life.
When it comes to your baby’s eye color, for many mamas the best thing might be just to wait and see!
What color will gray baby eyes turn?
Something we’ve heard a lot on Peanut is the question “Do babies’ eyes turn gray before brown?”
So what color will gray baby eyes turn?
The reality is that they can become any eye color at all!
But usually, a baby with gray eyes can turn into a beautiful brown-eyed baby.
Can baby brown eyes turn blue?
Since babies’ eyes tend to get darker as they get older, it’s very unlikely that a baby born with brown eyes will change to blue eyes.
If baby’s eyes change color from darker to lighter, it may be worth checking in with your doctor ‒ just in case.
So that’s all there is to know about baby eye color! No matter what shade or color your baby’s eyes are, we’re sure they’re simply gorgeous!
So why not share a snap of them with the other mamas on Peanut?
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When Do Babies See Color?
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When Do Babies Roll Over?
When Do Babies Crawl?
When Do Babies Walk?
When Do Babies Sit Up?
When Do Babies Start Teething?
When Do Babies Start Smiling?
When Do Babies Grow Hair?
When Do Babies Clap?
When Do Babies Start Dreaming?