The birth of a baby is an exciting moment in every family. Even before his birth, his parents begin to wonder who he will be like. Eye color is one of the characteristics that a child inherits in most cases from his father or mother, less often from his grandparents. Knowing this, parents are confident that a brown-eyed father and mother will have a dark-eyed baby. Most often, this is also true in cases where only one of the parents has brown eyes. Therefore, mothers often, when they hold their newborn child in their arms for the first time, are surprised: “who has blue or gray eyes like him?!” In fact, there is nothing strange about this. Over time, your child's eye color will likely change. But why and when will this happen? Let's figure it out.

What determines eye color

Human eye color is formed by a pigment called melanin. It is produced by special cells, melanocytes, under the influence of sunlight. Therefore, all newborn children come into this world with almost identical blue eyes.

Before its birth, a child in the darkness of the mother's womb has no opportunity or need to look. This is why the eyes of newborn babies are always cloudy. Upon birth, the baby begins to look at the sun, and his body gradually adapts to new living conditions. It starts the process of formation of melanocytes, the estimated number of which depends on the parents, since this is genetically fixed. The amount of melanin that is formed in melanocytes determines the future color of the eyes and hair of the child.

When will your eye color finally change?

All children develop according to their own individual program. For most children, eye color is finally established by their first birthday. In rare cases, eye and hair color can change at four years of age. This process occurs in several stages. Throughout life, a person's eye color practically does not change. The only exceptions are cases of certain diseases, during which the level of melanin in the body fluctuates.

Typically, the color of the iris remains uncertain until three to four months, and then the first changes begin to occur.

At this age, the gaze begins to focus and becomes more meaningful. Blue and gray shades become more expressive. Brown ones sometimes turn amber in color. Much less often, the brown shade changes to green. But this is only the beginning of changes. As a rule, dark-skinned and brown-eyed children acquire a permanent shade of the iris at such an early age.

More than 70% of children, according to statistics, change eye color at about one year of age. By this period the base color becomes more defined. Surprisingly, during the first year of a child’s life, the color of his iris can even change several times. And light-eyed babies are particularly fickle: shades can vary from light blue to sky blue. These changes can sometimes occur even under the influence of seemingly extraneous factors such as lighting, mood or weather.

Curious facts about eye color

• The most common eye color on Earth is brown.
• The second most common colors are blue and gray.
• The rarest one is green. It occurs in less than 2% of the world's population. The “green-eyed” countries are the Netherlands and Iceland. They account for as much as 80% of all green-eyed people on the planet. You can also often meet green-eyed people in Turkey. In addition, green eye color is much more common in women than in men, which is why in the Middle Ages green-eyed beauties were considered witches;
• Nationality and geography of residence also play a role in the prevalence of eye color. For example, among the inhabitants of Russia there are more blue-eyed and gray-eyed people than brown-eyed people. But in Spain, about 80% of residents have brown eyes.
• 1% of the population of our planet has different eye colors. This phenomenon is called heterochromia and is in no way a disease or abnormality. For example, actresses such as Mila Kunis and Kate Bosworth have eyes of different colors.
• Another rare occurrence is when a person has no melanin in the body at all. These people are called albinos. Their iris is red. Most often, albinos are born in Africa, and their highest percentage of the total population is observed among the indigenous inhabitants of the coast of Panama.

But, you see, the color of a child’s eyes is not so important. The main thing for any parents is that their baby is healthy and happy. Everything else matters much less.

Many parents are interested in when and why the eye color of newborns changes. Even if in the first days and months after birth the baby’s iris was a bright blue or dark purple hue, over time it begins to acquire a more traditional brown, green or gray color. The process of formation of this indicator at the genetic level raises no less questions.

Experts have even compiled a table, thanks to which it is possible to determine the probability of what the baby’s eye color will be, taking into account the data of his parents. Despite the successes of scientists in this field, you need to understand that in fact, not a single geneticist can say with 100% certainty what color the eyes of a newborn will be.

What eye color are babies born with and why?

Most children are born with blue, blue or violet eyes of various shades. This development of events is typical for 90% of cases. It is extremely rare to observe dark eye color in a child, even if it is present in both his parents. Such an amazing phenomenon can be explained quite simply. A special pigment, melanin, is responsible for the formation of color. But it can only be produced under the influence of light, which is not present in the mother’s womb.

When a baby is born and begins to open its eyes, the process of melanocyte production begins. The number of these cells is determined by the genetic predisposition of children. It is against this background that babies’ eyes change color, acquiring one or another color of a certain degree of severity.

Advice: Only nature decides what eye color to give a child. You should not believe in various folk methods, calculations of ovulation days and signs that claim that there is a way to activate the desired gene. There is also no way to preserve a clear blue or purple color with the help of special manipulations - there is no need to torment the baby in dubious ways.

It happens that the color of a child’s eyes takes on an unusual appearance over time - the irises of the visual organs differ in shade or are completely different. This phenomenon is usually considered a very interesting feature. It is not treated provided that, apart from the difference in eye color, no pathological changes in the tissue are observed. But such children are subject to regular examination by an ophthalmologist to ensure the absence of specific disorders.

The influence of heredity on the shade of a baby's eyes

Regardless of the initial eye color of a newborn, it will certainly change over time. Although the dominant shade is brown and green is the least common, no possibilities can be ruled out. Leading shades can also be very different. In some cases, three colors are present in the baby’s eyes at once.

The color inheritance probability table is as follows:

It is noteworthy that even during the period when children’s eyes are blue, their shade can vary greatly depending on the influence of a number of factors:

• If the eye color turns steely and looks like a thundercloud, this may indicate that the baby is hungry.
• When children's eyes are cloudy, they are most likely sleepy.
• The eye color will be greenish to the color of wet grass when the baby cries.
• In cases where children are calm, happy and do not need anything, their eyes become a clear blue color.

In addition, eye color in newborns often changes under the influence of external factors such as light or sun intensity, temperature and humidity levels.

When and how do babies change eye color?

It is impossible to say unequivocally when parents need to prepare for a change in eye color in their child; everything is very individual. A dark-skinned toddler with brown-eyed parents can delight with a permanent shade already at the age of 2 months. However, it will not necessarily be brown. But still, most often, this process in infants begins at about 6-8 months and drags on for 3-5 years. A later color change is often observed. In addition, many cases have been recorded in which adult eye color changes depending on lighting and mood.

To give parents peace of mind, pediatricians cite the following facts:

1. The process of changing the shade of the iris can happen either quickly or slowly; there is no need to panic, even if this happens at different times for twins.
2. For some children, eye color changes several times until it settles. Moreover, the shades can be very different, light and dark.
3. The most informative eyes are those of those babies who are initially born with a light blue iris. They are able to change their color several times a day.

With all this, it must be remembered that the likelihood of changes in eye tone and its saturation in newborns or older children may also be due to pathological factors. In cases where the iris is colored unevenly, takes on a bizarre appearance, or the condition is accompanied by changes in the baby’s behavior, the attention of the local pediatrician should be brought to this point.

Parents who are waiting for their baby to change eye color may be interested in the following information:

• The initial and final shades even depend on what country and region the baby was born in. The less sun, the lighter the final version will be.
• Green eyes are found in only 2% of people on the entire planet. Considering the fact that this gene is quite weak, and this amount is gradually but steadily decreasing.
• Among the Russian population, people with gray and blue eyes are most often found; brown eyes account for no more than 30%. Among Belarusians and Ukrainians, brown eyes are found in 50% of cases. Spaniards and Latinos with brown eyes account for up to 80% of the population.
• With physiological (or pathological) jaundice, the sclera of the eyes acquire a yellowish tint, which makes it impossible to accurately determine the child’s original eye color. Only after the condition returns to normal will it become clear what kind of irises the baby has.

It happens that the pigment melanin is absent in the body of a newborn. In this case, his eyes acquire a specific red tint. This condition is called albinism. It does not go away over time and cannot be treated.

The birth of a child is a small miracle. Even when the baby is growing in the womb, future parents, their closest relatives and friends are actively trying to predict what eye color the baby will have. Sometimes it happens that a child is born with light gray or blue eyes, although his mother and father are brown-eyed. But as the baby approaches one year of age, the baby’s eyes become dark. What is the reason for this phenomenon and how can we explain the presence of different eye colors in newborn babies?

What color are the eyes of newborns?

Eyes are the mirror of the soul. Any eye color is beautiful and has its own characteristics. In young children, the formation of the final eye color may occur during the first three years of life. But if you look at the parents and closest relatives of the baby, you can guess what color the eyes of the already grown-up child will be.

How the color of the iris is formed

During the intrauterine development of the fetus, as early as the eleventh week, the iris of the eye begins to form. It is she who determines what eye color the baby will have. The process of inheriting iris color is very complex: several genes are responsible for it. Previously, it was believed that a mother and father with dark eyes had absolutely no chance of giving birth to a light-eyed baby, but recent studies have proven that this is not so.

Using this table you can guess the eye color of the unborn child.

The color and shade of the iris depends on two factors:

• density of iris cells;
• the amount of melanin in the child’s body.

Melanin is a special pigment produced by skin cells. It is responsible for the richness and intensity of the color of our skin, hair and eyes.

Accumulating in large quantities in the iris of the eye, melanin causes the formation of black, dark brown or brown colors. If it is not enough, children are born with blue, gray and green eyes. People with a complete absence of melanin in their bodies are called albinos.

There is a misconception that all young children are born blue-eyed. In fact, this is not always the case. A baby is born with a certain density of cells in the iris and the amount of melanin in it set by nature, so the eyes appear light. In the process of maturation, growth and development of a child’s body, this pigment accumulates in the iris, due to which a different eye color is formed. Thus, the phenomenon of a baby’s blue eyes turning dark and even black is quite easy to explain. Do not forget that many children are immediately born with brown eyes.

Yellow and green eyes

Green and yellow eyes are a consequence of a small amount of melanin in the iris. The shade of the eyes is also determined by the presence of lipofuscin pigment in the first layer of the iris. The more it is, the brighter the eyes. Green eyes have minor inclusions of this substance, which causes variability in their shades.

The green color of a child's eyes develops closer to the second year of life.

Yellow eyes, contrary to popular rumors, are not an anomaly. Very often, yellow-eyed babies appear from brown-eyed parents. In most cases, this eye color darkens as they get older, but some children remain with yellow eyes for the rest of their lives.

Yellow eye color in an adult is very rare throughout the world

There are several interesting facts about green and yellow eyes. For example, women are more likely to have green irises than men. During the Middle Ages, green-eyed women were considered witches and burned at the stake according to ancient superstitions - perhaps this explains such a small number of people with green eyes at the present time. Yellow eyes are extremely rare, occurring in less than two percent of the world's population. They are also called “eyes of the tiger”.

Red eyes

Red eye color in a child is a sign of a serious genetic disease called albinism. Albinos have practically no melanin pigment: this is the reason for their snow-white skin, hair and red or colorless eyes.

Albinos have red eyes

The reddish tint of the iris is due to the fact that blood vessels are visible through it in the light. Albinism is a rather serious pathology, and a lot of effort will have to be made to raise such a child. You will need to use special glasses and protective creams, and also regularly show your growing baby to a pediatrician.

Melanin, which albinos lack so much, provides protection from sun rays. That is why the white skin of these people instantly burns in the sun. The risk of developing malignant neoplasms in such children is much higher than in others.

It is noteworthy that this pathology is not a mutation, but a consequence of a genetic lottery: the distant ancestors of both parents of a person born with red eyes once suffered from a lack of melanin. Albinism is a recessive trait and can appear only if two identical genes meet.

Albinism is often combined with other congenital malformations: cleft lip, bilateral deafness and blindness. Albinos often suffer from nystagmus - abnormal movements of the eyeball that occur without their intention.

Blue and blue eyes

Blue eyes in newborns occur due to the low density of cells in the outer layer of the iris, as well as due to the low content of melanin in it. Low-frequency light rays completely disappear in the back layer of the iris, and high-frequency rays are reflected from the front, as if from a mirror. The fewer cells in the outer layer, the brighter and more saturated the baby’s eye color will be.

About ninety-five percent of the population of Estonia and Germany had blue eyes before World War II. Blue eyes are more sensitive to light. When a blue-eyed person is happy or scared, their eyes may change color.

Blue eyes can change their shade depending on the lighting

Eyes are blue when the cells in the outer layer of the iris are more dense than in blue and also have a grayish tint. Most often, blue and blue eyes can be found in people of the Caucasian race. But there are also exceptions.

People with blue eyes are less susceptible to the tearing effect of onions when peeling them. Most blue-eyed people live in the northern parts of the world. Blue eyes are a mutation that arose more than ten thousand years ago: all blue-eyed people are very distant relatives of each other.

Gray and dark gray eyes

The mechanism for the formation of dark gray and gray eye colors does not differ from blue and dark blue. The amount of melanin and cell density of the iris is slightly greater than that of blue eyes. It is believed that a child who is born with gray eyes can subsequently acquire either a lighter or darker shade. We can say that gray eyes are a transition point between these two shades.

Gray eyes can often be found in babies

Black and brown eyes

Those with black and brown eyes can boast the largest amount of melanin in their irises. This eye color is the most common in the world. Black or “agate” eyes are widespread among the peoples of Asia, the Caucasus and Latin America. It is believed that initially all people on earth had the same amount of melanin in the iris and were brown-eyed. Completely black eyes, in which it is impossible to distinguish the pupil, occur in less than one percent of the population.

There are more brown-eyed people in the world

Very often, children with brown eyes have dark hair, eyebrows and eyelashes, as well as a dark skin tone. Dark-eyed blondes are a rarity these days.

There is a laser operation with which it is possible to remove part of the pigment and brighten the eyes: the Japanese widely use this method. In ancient times, it was believed that people with brown eyes could see well in the dark, which allowed them to hunt at night.

Multicolored eyes

Different colored eyes are a very rare phenomenon, a genetic mutation called heterochromia. This is due to a change in the gene structure that encodes the pigment melanin: due to this, the iris of one eye receives a little more melanin, and the other - a little less. This mutation does not affect vision in any way, so heterochromia is an absolutely safe phenomenon.

There are several types of multi-colored eyes:

• total heterochromia: both eyes are evenly colored in different colors;

  Complete (total) heterochromia is very rare

• partial, or sector: in one of the eyes there is a bright inclusion of a different color;

  Many people have colorful spots in their eyes

• circular heterochromia: several rings of different colors around the pupil.

  Circular heterochromia occurs in five percent of the population

Multi-colored eyes are not a sign of any disease, but a rather interesting and unusual phenomenon that makes the child unique and inimitable in its own way. Many Hollywood stars also had a similar “defect”, which they turned into their highlight.

Famous people with heterochromia:

• David Bowie;
• Kate Bosworth;
• Mila Kunis;
• Jane Seymour;
• Alice Eve.

How is a baby's eye color determined?

As you know, the color of a baby's eyes can have different shades. Depending on conditions, mood, weather and even time of day, it may undergo some changes. Various diseases, stress and injuries can permanently change the color of a child’s iris, which is due to complex healing processes and restoration of the structure of the eyeball.

When blue-eyed babies cry, their eyes turn aqua

The following factors can cause changes in eye color:

• long crying;
• natural or artificial lighting;
• weather conditions;
• the color of the clothes the baby wears;
• infectious diseases of the eyeball and eyelids;
• child nutrition;
• lack of sleep;
• eyeball injuries.

How can you correctly determine the color of a child’s eyes? Wait until your baby is in a good-natured mood: full, happy and cheerful. Bring the baby closer to the light source and look carefully at his eyes. Most often it is very difficult to distinguish between blue and green shades. The difference between them is most noticeable in natural daylight.

If you want to at least roughly determine the eye color of an unborn baby, you should contact a geneticist. He will draw up a pedigree for you, taking into account the color of the iris of your closest relatives. You must come to the appointment with your spouse and photographs of the baby’s grandparents.

Video: inheritance of a child’s eye color depending on the eye color of his relatives

When do newborns' eyes change color?

Typically, the final shade of the iris is formed by the third year of a child’s life. Sometimes there may be exceptions when eye color forever remains the same as at birth, or changes again during puberty. According to some studies, people who are initially born with dark eyes are much less likely to change iris color throughout their lives. In newborns with light and rare eye shades, the formation of the final color occurs much later.

Table: change in eye color of a newborn child depending on his age

When the color of the whites of the eyes indicates pathology

The white of the eye, otherwise called the sclera, is a unique indicator of the condition of a person’s internal organs. Normally, the sclera is completely white and resembles boiled chicken protein, which is where its second name comes from. And it also has on its surface tiny capillaries that carry arterial and venous blood. A change in the color of the eyeball directly indicates a pathology in the body.

Red whites of eyes

If your baby's eyes are red, this may indicate several types of pathological processes occurring in his body. However, do not be too frightened or panic: in most cases, the redness goes away within a few days with proper use of eye drops.

Redness of the eyes indicates corneal irritation

Causes of redness of the white of the eye:

• ARVI and colds;
• conjunctivitis;
• pollution;
• barley formation;
• protein damage: scratch or blow;
• inflammation of the ciliary sacs.

If your baby is restless, constantly tries to touch his eye, or has a fever, you should immediately consult a doctor. If the treatment of this disease does not require special means, you will need to buy special children's drops and put them in the eyes of the crumbs three times a day. If more serious pathologies associated with protein infection are present, the child will be prescribed an antibiotic and eye ointments.

Yellow whites of eyes

When a newborn baby has a yellow color of the sclera, skin and mucous membranes, we should talk about jaundice. This type of pathology is very common in premature babies, as well as in babies whose mother had an Rh conflict.

The yellow color of the baby's skin and whites of the eyes is associated with excess bilirubin

Rh conflict is a situation that occurs when the Rhesus of a woman and a man are incompatible, as a result of which an Rh-negative mother carries an Rh-positive child.

The baby's jaundice is caused by the presence in his blood of a large amount of a special enzyme called bilirubin. The more of it in the body, the more intense the color. Bilirubin appears due to increased destruction of blood cells in the baby's liver. This is due to the fact that when the baby was in the mother’s body, it had completely different hemoglobin (the protein that carries oxygen to the cells of the body). At birth, infant hemoglobin is replaced by adult hemoglobin, which is associated with disruption of adaptation mechanisms, destruction of blood cells and the formation of jaundice. This condition usually resolves within a few days without treatment.

If a woman with Rh-conflict had a rather difficult pregnancy and had significant complications and pathologies, there is a risk of developing a more severe form of jaundice. Usually, after birth, such children are taken to intensive care, where all the necessary measures are taken to restore balance in the body. The duration of treatment for neonatal jaundice ranges from two to six months.

Blue whites of eyes

Children who are born with blue or bluish whites of their eyes are carriers of a severe genetic disorder called Lobstein van der Heeve syndrome. This is a rather complex and multifactorial disease that affects the connective tissue, visual apparatus, hearing organs and skeletal system. Such a baby will be treated in the hospital for a long time, but will not be able to completely get rid of the pathology.

Blue sclera syndrome is a severe genetic pathology

This genetic anomaly is dominant: a person with this disease will give birth to a sick child. Fortunately, the syndrome is quite rare: one case in sixty to eighty thousand babies per year.

Main clinical manifestations of the syndrome:

• bilateral hearing impairment associated with underdevelopment of the internal auditory canal and auditory ossicles;
• frequent bone fractures and ligament ruptures: the connective tissue membrane is not able to withstand pressure, and even a minor blow can lead to serious injury;
• the blue color of the eyeballs is due to the fact that the thin sclera, transmitting rays of light through itself, reflects the pigment of the iris;
• significant visual impairment directly depends on scleral pathologies.

Unfortunately, since the disease is a violation of the genetic structure, it is not possible to completely cure it. Doctors usually prescribe symptomatic treatment, which is aimed at reducing the intensity of the main manifestations. And also, once the child reaches a certain age, it is possible to carry out operations that will help restore vision and hearing. Parents of such a baby should be extremely careful not to accidentally cause fractures or other injuries.

Thanks to the achievements of modern medicine and genetics, it is possible to determine the color of your baby’s eyes even before birth. Of course, these results will only be approximate. The inheritance and formation of the color of the iris is a rather complex and interesting process. However, for most parents it doesn’t matter at all what color their newborn’s eyes will be, as long as the child grows and develops without any diseases or pathologies. If you notice that the color of your baby’s eyeballs is different from the norm, you should immediately contact your pediatrician and endocrinologist.

When the long nine months of waiting are left behind, and with them the difficult process of childbirth, what could be more beautiful than hugging and cuddling your newborn baby! For every mother, the first minutes of unity with her baby are remembered for the rest of her life. How familiar these little hands and feet seem! And a new mother is especially interested in the eye color of her newborn. Many parents strive from the very first days to determine who their baby is like based on his eye color.

Eye color in newborns can change throughout the first year of life, and sometimes until adulthood. Until three months, in most cases, babies' eye color is uncertain.

Eye color in newborns directly depends on the melanin pigment. The amount of pigment determines the color of the iris. When there is a lot of melanin, the eye color becomes brown, when there is little - gray, blue or green. All newborns have almost the same eye color - dull gray or dull blue. This is due to the fact that there is no melanin in the baby’s iris. Changes in eye color in newborns begin when this pigment is produced. This physiological process of producing the melanin pigment directly depends on the individual characteristics of the child and his heredity. It is not uncommon for a newborn to change eye color several times. In this case, the production of melanin pigment occurs gradually as the baby grows. In some cases, the iris of the eye acquires its final color only by three to four years. Therefore, if the eye color of newborns changes before this age, there is nothing wrong with that.

A childhood problem such as jaundice affects eye color in newborns. This disease is accompanied by yellowing of the whites, making it impossible to determine eye color. Jaundice in newborns is quite common. The baby’s liver is imperfect and it is not immediately able to fully cope with its function. This causes the baby's skin to turn yellow and the whites to appear yellow. Typically, jaundice goes away on its own within a few days after birth. A good preventative against jaundice is sun rays.

Some interesting facts about eye color:

• The most common eye color in the world is brown, and the rarest is green. Less than two percent of the population of our planet have green eyes. In some countries of Asia and South America, green eye color is not found in people at all;
• Less than one percent of newborns are born with a condition called heterochromia. This means that the baby's eyes are different colors;
• There is an opinion among geneticists that eye color in newborns is transmitted according to Mendel's law. The law states that parents with dark eyes are more likely to have a child with dark eyes. Parents with light eyes have a baby with light eyes. If the parents have different eye colors, the newborn's eye color will be something in between.

No specialist in the world can say for sure what color your newborn baby's eyes will be. Therefore, parents can only guess at this question or wait until the baby’s individual characteristics appear and the eye color acquires its final color.

There is an opinion that a newborn's eyes are necessarily blue, but this is not entirely true - he can be absolutely anything. But the content of the pigments that determine the color of the iris changes with age, so the appearance of a newborn will say very little about what he will look like when he grows up a little. We will talk further about when the eye color of a newborn baby changes and how this happens.

The color of a person's eyes is determined by the coloring pigment melanin. It is located in the iris, a small area of ​​the choroid that is adjacent to the anterior surface.

It is round in shape and surrounds the pupil. The main function of the pigment is to protect the retina from excess solar radiation. Eye color depends on the location and amount of melanin.

In addition to melanin, lipofuscin may be present in the eyes - it gives a yellowish tint. A complete absence of melanin occurs in albinos, with the eyes having a red or pink tint.

The distribution of melanin is a hereditary trait, but the amount of melanin can change with age.

Changes with age in a child

During intrauterine development, melanin is produced in small quantities - this is due to the fact that the need for it will appear only after birth. Therefore, at birth they often have light hair, eyes and skin tone.

Depending on the distribution of melanin, the eyes of newborns may be pale blue, light gray, or have a greenish or amber tint. Some babies are born with distinct gray or brown irises.

The distribution of melanin remains unchanged, but its production increases as we grow older. Because of this, there is a gradual darkening of the eyes to their final color. How much it will change depends on the individual characteristics of the child; the color may remain almost the same (most often this happens with gray eyes) or sharply darken from light gray to brown.

When should I change

The most significant changes in appearance occur before age 3. At this time, the color of the eyes and hair may change radically, and the skin tone may become darker or lighter than before. During the process, the shade of the iris may change several times, so it is still too early to talk about the exact color of the child’s eyes.

Until what age does this happen?

Most often, the final eye color is formed by the age of 3. During this time, several color changes may occur, sometimes quite strong. If the color continues to change after three years, then the baby is the happy owner of chameleon eyes, and this feature of appearance will decorate him.

But if this worries parents, or the baby shows any symptoms of impaired vision, then he should be shown to an ophthalmologist. If the eye color was determined earlier, there is nothing wrong with that either.

Will it necessarily change or may it remain the same?

Most often, the eyes become darker as the child gets older. But this may not happen, and then the color of the iris will remain the same or almost the same as at birth.

This happens quite often. As a rule, in cases where the baby was already born with dark eyes - brown or black, which simply cannot darken even more. The opposite situation is that the child has inherited a small amount of melanin from his parents, and his eyes will only darken slightly, remaining gray or blue.

How to determine the final eye color

Eye color is an inherited trait, so it must be determined not only by the shade of the baby’s iris, but also by the eye color of parents and more distant relatives. Based on statistics, the following patterns have been derived:

• If a baby is born with brown eyes, their color does not change;
• A child of brown-eyed parents will in most cases have brown eyes; green or blue eyes are much less common;
• The parents have gray eyes - the child may have gray, brown or blue;
• Parents have blue eyes - their children will have the same ones;
• Parents have green eyes - the child will have green eyes, less often - brown or blue eyes;
• The parents have a combination of brown/gray – any option for the child;
• Parents have brown/green - brown or green, less often blue;
• The combination of brown/blue is brown, blue or gray, but never green;
• The combination of gray/green – any eye color of the child;
• Gray/blue – gray or blue for the baby;
• Green/blue - any of these two options, but not brown or gray.

In fact, inheritance of eye color is somewhat more complicated. If parents have doubts about where a similar color came from, you can consult a medical geneticist. This is an expensive, but very accurate procedure.

In what cases does heterochromia occur?

Heterochromia is different eye colors in one person. In this case, both eyes may have a different color (one is brown, the other is blue - the most common option, complete heterochromia), or one sector of the iris is painted in a color different from the rest of the circle (sectoral heterochromia), or the inner and outer edges of the iris differ in color ( central heterochromia).

The central or sectoral manifestation of the condition may or may not be symmetrical, occurring in one or both eyes. Heterochromia is not considered a pathology.

The reason is a hereditary disorder of melanin distribution. It may not be visible in a newborn, but becomes noticeable after the final determination of eye color. It does not pose any danger to the baby.

In some cases, a change in the color of the iris may be a symptom of inflammatory processes (iritis, iridocyclitis, vascular lesions), but then other signs of pathology appear along with it.

What affects eye color

First of all, heredity influences eye color. Because brown eyes are the most resistant to sunlight, they have become the most common eye color on Earth. The green and gray irises perform their function a little worse (the green one has little melanin, and the gray one has it too deep); these eye colors are approximately equally distributed.

Blue eyes do not protect well from the sun, so they are often found among representatives of the peoples of Northern Europe. The rarest color is blue, it is associated with a small amount of melanin, located deep, and at the same time with a low density of iris fibers. Owners of such eyes are advised to wear sunglasses.

Diseases affecting eye color

In addition to normal factors, pathological factors can also affect the color of the iris. The most famous among them is albinism. This is a hereditary disease in which the production of melanin is disrupted - it stops partially or completely. With partial albinism, the eyes may have a blue or green color, but usually a rather subtle color. With complete albinism, the eye color becomes red - this is due to the blood vessels being visible.

With glaucoma, the color of the eyes becomes lighter due to increased intraocular pressure, and some drugs for it, on the contrary, cause darkening of the eyes. Bright blue eye color in a newly born baby may be a sign of congenital glaucoma.

Inflammatory processes in the iris can lead to a decrease in the amount of pigment or its complete disappearance in the affected sector.

How does eye color affect vision?

Eye color does not affect vision at all - the iris is not involved in the optical system of the eye. But the amount of melanin affects the patient's ability to tolerate exposure to bright sunlight without harming the retina. Blue-eyed people are more likely to experience eye irritation, photophobia, and fatigue after intense visual stress.