Are All Babies Born with Blue Eyes? (2024)

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By Allison Castloo

Are All Babies Born with Blue Eyes? (1)

We’re all familiar with the custom of referring to beautiful blue eyes as “baby blues.” Is this because all babies are born with blue eyes?

This phrase may have originated from the understanding that all infants are born with bright blue eyes, but this isn’t actually true. In fact, studies have shown that it’s more common for babies to be born with brown eyes.

Let’s review the biological factors that determine eye color and how to tell whether or not your baby’s piercing blue eyes will stick around.

TIME FOR BABY’S FIRST EYE EXAM? Find a pediatric vision specialist near you.

Why are babies born with blue eyes?

Many babies will have light-colored eyes at first, but iris color continues to develop for months after birth. Some babies may be born with blue eyes, but others are born with brown or hazel eyes.

In fact, blue eyes may be a little less common than you think. A 2016 study involving 192 newborns revealed that almost two-thirds of them were born with brown eyes. Only about one in five had blue eyes.

Eye color, just like skin and hair color, is determined by melanin. These natural pigments are produced by cells called melanocytes. Melanocytes help provide protection from sun damage, and increase their production in response to sun exposure.

When a baby is born, their eyes may be light or even blue, but they will likely change color as the melanocytes respond to light.

Race is also a factor, as researchers note that the majority of babies born with blue eyes are Caucasian. Other ethnic groups, including those of African and Asian ancestry, are more often born with brown eyes.

What determines babies’ eye color?

A baby’s eye color depends on their melanin levels. Generally speaking, Caucasian babies (especially those with blue eyes) have less melanin so their iris, hair and skin color are more likely to vary and develop with age and sun exposure. Conversely, babies with brown eyes have the most melanin, and their eyes are much less likely to change color.

While eye color is predominantly determined by these natural pigments, there are also other factors at work that will influence the color of a newborn’s irises.

Two brown-eyed parents are more likely to produce a brown-eyed baby, but it’s not a solid guarantee. If a grandparent, for instance, has blue eyes, it’s not unheard of for the baby to inherit their blue eyes.

The same can be said for parents with lighter colored eyes. It is absolutely possible for two blue-eyed parents to have a baby with brown eyes even if it is more likely they’ll go home with a blue-eyed babe.

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.

Schedule your baby’s first eye exam

While it’s fun to dwell on your baby’s eye color, during their first several months of development, your infant and their eyes will undergo a number of changes aside from just the color of their irises. Because of this, it is important to have your infant’s eyes examined by a pediatric vision specialist sometime within their first six months.

Your baby won’t be able to communicate any potential eye problems, but a pediatric eye doctor will be able to assess their visual acuity and detect or rule out more serious immediate eye or vision issues.

This enables your baby’s doctor to catch early on anything that could potentially affect their ongoing vision development.

READ NEXT: What nursery colors are best for a baby’s vision?

Page published on Thursday, March 5, 2020

Are All Babies Born with Blue Eyes? (2024)

FAQs

Are All Babies Born with Blue Eyes? ›

Well, because all babies are born with blue eyes, right? Wrong. Feast your baby blues upon this fun fact: Worldwide, more newborns have brown eyes than blue. And while it's true that many babies have blue or gray eyes at first, it's important to know that eye color can change for months after birth.

Are all babies born with blue eyes at first? ›

Many babies will have light-colored eyes at first, but iris color continues to develop for months after birth. Some babies may be born with blue eyes, but others are born with brown or hazel eyes. In fact, blue eyes may be a little less common than you think.

How long does a baby's eyes stay blue? ›

Your child's newborn eye color may be blue, but that doesn't mean it'll necessarily stay that way. “Babies' eyes tend to change color sometime between 6 and 12 months, but it can take as long as three years until you see the true color of what their eyes are going to be,” says Barbara Cohlan, MD, a neonatologist at St.

What color are babies eyes at birth? ›

In reality, more than half of babies are born with brown eyes, while a good number of newborns have blue or gray eyes. Green or hazel eyes are very rare among newborns.

Are all babies born with blue eyes regardless of race? ›

It's a common belief that all babies are born with blue eyes, but this is actually a myth. A baby's eye colour at birth depends on genetics. Brown is also common, for example, but a newborn baby's eyes can range in colour from slate grey to black.

Do dark blue eyes turn brown? ›

Babies often do not have much pigment in their irises when they are born. This is why their eyes can look very blue. More pigment accumulates in the iris over the first few months of a child's life and blue eyes can become less blue or even turn completely brown.

Which parent determines eye color? ›

A child's eye color depends on the pairing of genes passed on from each parent, which is thought to involve at least three gene pairs. The two main gene pairs geneticists have focused on are EYCL1 (also called the gey gene) and EYCL3 (also called the bey2 gene).

How to tell if a baby is going to have blue eyes? ›

What Color Will Your Baby's Eyes Be?
  1. If you and your partner both have blue eyes, your baby is likely to have blue eyes.
  2. If you and your partner both have brown eyes, your baby is likely to have brown eyes.
  3. If one of your baby's grandparents has blue eyes, your baby's chances of having blue eyes are higher.
Dec 20, 2023

How long do baby blues eyes last? ›

Eye color often changes during the first year or even longer. That means your blue-eyed newborn may have brown eyes by the time they take their first steps. There's no way to know when the final color will be set. And the exact color can't be predicted by you any easier than it can be by a Magic 8 Ball.

Do grandparents' eye colors affect babies? ›

Two brown-eyed parents are likely (but not guaranteed) to have a child with brown eyes. If you notice one of the grandparents has blue eyes, the chances of having a blue-eyed baby go up a bit. If one parent has brown eyes and the other has blue eyes, odds are about even on eye color.

Can two blue-eyed parents have a brown-eyed child? ›

It is possible for two blue-eyed parents to have a brown-eyed child. Blue eye color is recessive while brown eye color is dominant. So, if the gene for brown eye color is present in the parents' DNA, then it is possible for their child to have brown eyes.

What color are Caucasian babies eyes at birth? ›

Crude bivariate methods were used to compare eye color by race. Newborns whose parents identified them as White/Caucasian more often had blue irides compared to those identified as Asian (p<.

Which eye color is most attractive? ›

We found that green is the most popular lens colour, with brown coming in a close second, despite it being one of the most common eye colours. Although blue and hazel are seen as the most attractive eye colours for men and women they are surprisingly the least popular.

What color are Irish eyes? ›

Where in the world are the most green eyes? The highest concentration of people with green eyes is found in Ireland, Scotland, and northern Europe. In fact, in Ireland and Scotland, more than three-fourths of the population has blue or green eyes – 86 percent!

Do purple eyes exist? ›

Although the deep blue eyes of some people such as Elizabeth Taylor can appear purple or violet at certain times, "true" violet-colored eyes occur only due to albinism. Eyes that appear red or violet under certain conditions due to albinism are less than 1 percent of the world's population.

Does everyone have blue eyes when they are first born? ›

Well, because all babies are born with blue eyes, right? Wrong. Feast your baby blues upon this fun fact: Worldwide, more newborns have brown eyes than blue. And while it's true that many babies have blue or gray eyes at first, it's important to know that eye color can change for months after birth.

Can two parents without blue eyes have a baby with blue eyes? ›

Flexi Says: Two brown-eyed parents (if both are heterozygous) can have a blue-eyed baby. If both the parents have brown eyes, then there is generally a 25% chance for their child to have blue eyes. Because both the brown-eyed parents have a recessive blue-eye gene and can pass it to the next generation.

Are all puppies born with blue eyes? ›

Once a puppy's eyes open, they typically look blue. However, that is not always the case. Some puppies' eyes look brown in the beginning. It depends on their breed, age, and the environment.

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