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.