While the rate of color change does slow down after 6 months, the color can still change after this time. It takes about a year for the melanocytes to finish their job and for the final color to come in. When Do Babies’ Eyes Stop Changing Color? Brown eyes are likely to remain brown throughout life. Brown eyes, which are the most common, are the result of very active melanocytes secreting lots of melanin. Just a little more melanin and his eyes will be green or hazel. If the melanocytes secrete just a little more melanin, this baby may end up with blue eyes. As he’s exposed to more light, over time (even several years) his eye color can change. Since melanocytes respond to light, at birth a baby may have eyes that appear gray or blue mostly due to the lack of pigment and because he’s been in a dark womb up until now. Babies whose heritage is dark-skinned are usually born with brown eyes, whereas Caucasian newborns tend to be born with blue or gray eyes.
The color of babies’ irises actually depends on melanin, a protein secreted by special cells called melanocytes that also give your baby’s skin its color. Your baby’s pupils will always be black, and the sclera (the whites) of your baby’s eyes will almost always be white - unless, for example, she’s ill with jaundice, causing a yellow color, or her eyes have some sort of inflammation and are pink or red. The color of the iris can range from very pale blue all the way to very dark brown. The iris helps controls the amount of light that enters the eye. What Is Eye Color?Įye color actually refers to the appearance of the iris, which is the muscular ring that surrounds the pupil (the black part) of each eye. We’ll explain what impacts eye color, why it may take time for your little one’s eyes to reach their final color, and when you might finally know what color your baby’s eyes will be. If you’re wondering when do babies’ eyes change color and whether your baby's eye color will take after your eyes, your partner’s eyes, or perhaps one of the grandparents’ eyes, read on! What's interesting to know is that the eye color your baby was born with may be his final eye color, or it may not be: the color may change over the coming months and years. You've waited so long for this moment - looking into your newborn's eyes for the very first time.