In those months of waiting and excitement to finally see our baby’s eyes open, every parent wonders what the colour of my baby’s eyes will be. This is one of the aspects that arouses most curiosity in both parents and loved ones. Even before the birth, many people begin to speculate about the possible eye colour of the newborn and what traits he or she will share with his or her parents.
It is common to hear various theories about how a baby’s eye colour is determined, but the reality is that it is a purely genetic phenomenon. Genetics is the key factor in determining eye colour, resulting from the combination of genes inherited from both the mother and the father. It’s a fascinating subject! So, if you’re wondering ‘How do I know if my newborn will have light eyes?’, stick around, because in this article you’ll learn when a baby’s eye colour is defined, how to tell what eye colour your newborn will have, and much more.
When is the eye colour of a newborn defined?
It is really fascinating to observe how babies’ eyes change over time. Those born with brown eyes usually maintain this colour, although they may darken as they grow older. On the other hand, babies born with shades of grey, dark blue or light blue eyes will not show their final eye colour until about six months or even the first year of life. The evolution of eye colour in babies is an intriguing process and a beautiful part of early development.
This change in my baby’s eye colour varies from child to child and depends on several factors, including genetics and the baby’s skin tone. Generally, babies with fair skin and low melanin tend to have light eyes, while those with higher melanin tend to have dark eyes. But, the process of defining my baby’s eye colour actually begins at around five months and can extend up to two years, determining not only the final colour but also the intensity and varying shades it will take on.
What does my baby’s eye colour depend on?
Genetics plays a crucial role in determining a baby’s eye colour, although it is a complex and sometimes unpredictable science. Genes associated with lighter eye colours, such as blue or green, are generally recessive. This means that they are often at a disadvantage to dominant genes, such as those that produce brown eyes. For example, if a father has brown eyes and the mother has green eyes, the baby is more likely to inherit brown eyes.
However, this is not an absolute certainty. Sometimes recessive genes can prevail. Because females have two X chromosomes, they can pass on a greater variety of these genetic characteristics.
Genetic information inherited from parents and grandparents is passed on through chromosomes 15 and 19. The amount and types of pigments present in the iris of ancestors determine whether pure or mixed colours will be passed on to offspring.
For a baby to inherit a ‘pure’ eye colour, the corresponding genes need to be homogeneous. If this is not the case, the child is likely to develop a mixed eye colour, a combination of the genes inherited from both parents.
External factors that can affect newborn eye colour
In addition to genetic factors, there are external factors that, although not determinant, can influence a baby’s eye colour. Among these, exposure to sunlight and the baby’s health play significant roles during the first years of life.
Exposure to sunlight
One of the most important factors that can affect a baby’s eye colour is exposure to sunlight. At birth, many babies have light-coloured eyes, such as blue or grey. This is because melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin, have not had enough light stimulation during pregnancy. Sunlight activates the production of melanin, the pigment responsible for colour in the iris, skin and hair.
During the first months of life, continuous exposure to sunlight causes melanocytes to increase their melanin production, which can gradually darken a baby’s eyes. For this reason, many babies born with light eyes may end up with darker eyes after several months of exposure to natural light.
Baby’s health
A baby’s general health can also influence the development of their eye colour. For example, certain medical conditions and nutrition can affect melanin production. Adequate levels of nutrients and good general health ensure that melanocytes function properly, thus contributing to normal eye colour development.
In addition, some diseases can impact eye colour. For example, rare genetic conditions such as Waardenburg syndrome can cause heterochromia, where the eyes are different colours, or albinism, which can result in very light eyes due to low melanin production).
Most common types of eye colour in children
There are many options in terms of colour tones, but according to pigments existing in our genes we can find:
- Babies with brown eyes: this colour occurs when we have at least one pure brown allele on chromosome 15 and may be combined with chromosome 19.
- Babies with blue eyes: in this case both chromosomes have blue pigments.
- Babies with green eyes: chromosome 15 contains both blue and brown pigments and chromosome 19 can have any combination but with a green allele.
- Babies with honey brown eyes: this is a mixed colour as it has elements of green, grey and light brown eyes.
- Babies with red and violet eyes: these are very unlikely cases but usually occur in cases of albinism, where blue and red highlights are combined.
- Babies with black eyes: this case is directly an anomaly caused by the lack of iris.
Source: todopapas
We hope that all this information has helped you to make your bets on the future baby coming into the family as accurate as possible. Oh and if you still think it can be due to breastfeeding, we have to tell you that it is all a myth about the eye color of babies, as they have no scientific basis whatsoever and the only thing there is evidence of is genetic inheritance. Like all parents, I would like to know the color of my baby’s eyes and hopefully all this information will serve to get an idea about the color of the baby’s eyes.
In addition to treat any type of visual problem we can evaluate it in our opticians in Fuengirola and Mijas, come without obligation!
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