When a baby is born, his parents are often interested in who the baby looks like and what his eye color is. Most babies have dull blue eyes at birth, so in the first days of life it is simply impossible to find out their final shade. Consider when the color of the eyes in newborns is determined, what it depends on, how often it can change and what affects this process.
What determines the shade of the iris of a person?
Eye color depends on the amount of pigment, namely on accumulated melanin. This factor is due to heredity. Most newborns at birth have a light blue shade of the eyes, and finally the color is formed by 2-3 years. Initially, bright eyes can subsequently become green, gray or brown.
According to statistics, in the world most people are brown-eyed. If one of the parents has a dark shade of the iris, then with a high probability it will prevail over the light and will be passed on to the baby by inheritance.
There are certain patterns, how to determine the color of the eyes in a newborn, which is formed in the first trimester of pregnancy. If the baby’s mom and dad are blue-eyed, then in 99% of cases the child will also have a bright iris. If the parents are brown-eyed, in 75% of cases they have a brown-eyed baby, but it can also have green eyes (probability 18%) or blue eyes (probability 7%). If the father and mother are green-eyed, then in 75% of cases the newborn will have the same shade of eyes, but in 24% he is born with blue eyes, and only 1% with brown eyes. All these patterns are only speculative.
As a rule, from six months in the baby, the color of the eyes begins to change. The iris may get dark. It also happens that the crumbs lack pigment, which is why the iris acquires a reddish tint. This process is called albinism and should not cause concern among parents, since it does not affect visual function. In an adult, a red tint subsequently acquires a bluish color.
How does visual function develop in newborns?
In its structure, the eye is a kind of camera that is equipped with nerves for transmitting information to the brain. The cornea and lens here act as a “lens”, and the supersensitive retinal membrane - “film”. In a newborn child, everything is arranged in the same way as in an adult, but in the first years of life, this organ still cannot function at full capacity. Visual acuity in infants is reduced and often he only feels light, and by 12 months he sees only 50% of the adult's norm.
In the first 7 days of life, doctors check how the pupil of a baby reacts to light, and only at the age of 14 days it can already focus its eyes, but not for long. At two months, the baby begins to see more consciously, by 6 months he distinguishes between simple forms, and by the year - drawings.
Features of the visual function of the first year of life, which do not depend on when the color of the eyes in newborns changes:
- the newly born baby does not have a conscious vision (the pupil narrows in bright light);
- in the first month, the baby begins to focus on something bright and bright;
- from 2 months, fixation becomes more conscious and stable (he begins to consider the outlines of objects);
- at the age of 4 months, the baby begins to grab items, but so far the distance to them is determined incorrectly;
- from six months he sees space in a three-dimensional image.
Shade of the iris at birth
Many are interested in the question: “Through how many newborns change eye color,” because the shade that the iris has at birth is quite misleading. Often the color is formed during the year, but it is directly related to the individual characteristics of the development and growth of the baby. In some, the final color of the eyes is formed only by four years. This primarily depends on the amount of melanin, which does not affect visual acuity.
Causes of changes in the shade of the iris in children of the first year of life
Why does the color of the eyes change in newborns? This process depends on many factors. If the baby is in a bad mood, the eyes can acquire a gray tint, if good, they can be painted in light blue. Such a process can be observed in the first six months of life.
So far, there are no exact results on determining the color of the eyes of newborns, but there are genetic assumptions. In the womb, the fetus is surrounded by darkness. At birth, he first meets with bright light and during this period melanin begins to be actively produced, which is responsible for the color of the iris. The production of pigment depends directly on the baby, so the eyes often change their color. In this case, everything happens gradually over the first few years of life.
At what age and how often can eye color change?
When the baby is born, he practically does not have the pigment melanin, but after a few days the process of adaptation and activation of melanocytes occurs, which are responsible for the color of the iris. If this pigment is not enough in the baby’s body, the shade of the iris will be light, if much - dark.
It is impossible to answer exactly the question: "How much does the color of the eyes change in newborns?" This process takes place differently in each infant. Often this happens in the first 12 months of life, but can last until the child is 4 years old. There are times when the shade of the eyes changes several times. Experts attribute this to the slow production of melanin. Only at the age of 3-4 years can we finally determine what color the eyes of the baby are.
What influences this process?
Having decided on when the color of the eyes changes completely in newborns, let's talk about what affects this process. Often, the hereditary factor of both parents and close relatives is responsible for this. There is a certain Mendel law, according to which dark pigment will always prevail over light. The bottom line is that the dominant genes are precisely the dark pigments.
The color of the skin and the nationality of the parents also matter. Persons of Asian appearance often have brown eyes, and indigenous Europeans - light blue. Heredity and nationality are the most important factors that affect the volume of accumulated melanin by the baby and subsequently on the shade of his eyes.
Does the shade of the iris in a baby change depending on his well-being?
In the first six months from the moment of birth, when the eye color in newborns is determined, a very interesting phenomenon can be noticed. It consists in modifying the shade of the iris, depending on the mood and well-being of the baby.
Attentive parents may notice that when the baby is hungry, his eyes turn gray, when he wants to sleep, they become cloudy, and when he cries, they turn green. In a good mood, the shade of the baby's eyes is light blue.
This does not happen in all children, and the color changes slightly, because many parents simply do not notice these changes.
Heterochromia in infants
You can see how the color of the eyes in newborns changes in the photo. But it also happens that the production of the pigment melanin, which is responsible for the shade of the iris, does not occur correctly. It can be produced in insufficient quantities or, conversely, in excess. When the baby's eyes have a different shade (one blue, the other brown), this indicates heterochromia. Uneven coloring of the iris is a rather rare phenomenon and is found only in 1% of the world's inhabitants. It also depends on a genetic predisposition.
Many parents are frightened when a child has a different color eye and begin to think that in this state he will be hard to see. But the color of the iris does not affect the visual function.
How to determine eye color in a newborn baby in case of heterochromia and what shades are most common? Often, the "odd eyes" have this combination of shades - brown and blue. Over time, manifestations of heterochromia may disappear. This does not require special treatment. Partial heterochromia is also distinguished, which manifests itself in the uneven distribution of melanin. The baby’s eyes in this case have different areas - pigmented and non-pigmented areas.
With heterochromia, it is worthwhile to see the first year of life at the ophthalmologist, since such a condition can sometimes lead to impaired eye functionality.
Does the shade of the iris of the baby affect visual acuity?
The visual function of the newly born baby is poorly developed, but when the color of the eyes changes completely in newborns, he sees in the same way as an adult.
Interesting facts about the baby's vision:
- as soon as the baby is born, he sees only 50% of what an adult sees;
- the color of the iris and the period of change does not affect the visual acuity of the baby;
- the most common eye color on the planet is brown, rare is green;
- if the child has a different eye color, this does not always indicate pathology.
Assessment of vision in the baby
Regardless of when the eye color in newborns is determined, an assessment of visual function is carried out by a specialist even in the hospital. Also, do not skip scheduled examinations by an optometrist to identify possible abnormalities in visual function. It is necessary to undergo examinations at 6 months and a year. The specialist must evaluate not only the size and symmetry of the pupils, but also how this organ responds to light.
Normally, the baby's eyes are the same size. If an eye enlargement is observed in a child at the age of one month, this may indicate the presence of congenital glaucoma, an ophthalmologist consultation is required.
The pupils of the baby should be round and decrease in diameter under the influence of light. The shade of the iris should be the same on both eyes. From about two months of age, the child can already focus his eyes, and at three months he follows a moving subject.
When the color of the eyes in newborns is determined, and this happens within a year to 4 years, there are cases of strabismus. This does not always indicate pathology and disappears as the baby begins to control the eyes. Also, strabismus can be the result of an injury received during childbirth, or with a violation of the function of the oculomotor muscles. Only a specialist can determine the cause that led to the pathology. The sooner parents seek help, the more effective the treatment will be.
The relationship of eye color with the character of the baby
There is a popular belief, according to which the future character of the baby depends on what kind of eye shade it has.
It is believed that a baby with:
- black eyes grow exciting and quick-tempered;
- karimi - shy and loving;
- green - hardworking, demanding and decisive;
- gray - honest and decisive;
- sky blue - romantic, sincere and kind.
The shade of the iris is not always decisive in determining the character, where the hereditary factor and the principles of education also play an important role.
Output
When can I determine the color of the eyes in newborns? Often this happens during the first six months of life. This process directly depends on the amount of accumulated melanin and occurs in different ways in all babies. There are cases when the color finally forms closer to 4 years. Even such a long process of forming the shade of the iris does not affect the visual function of the baby.
It is impossible to say exactly what color the eyes will be in the child. The shade of the iris depends on heredity and is laid in the womb, during the first three months of pregnancy. There are certain patterns according to which the shade can be calculated. For example, a brown-eyed baby can be born to brown-eyed parents, but only in 19% of cases, and in most children will also have brown eyes.