Holding your child in your hand for the first time, beholding his tender visage and looking into his dreamy eyes is a blissful feeling you will cherish for a lifetime. A blessing, a miracle, a grace bestowed, you trace his features to search for resemblances. Some babies have thin lines for eyes; others have large almond sweets. Asian and African American babies usually have dark eyes, while Caucasian babies are born with blue or blue-gray colored eyes. It might take a while before your baby finally develops a particular eye color. Initially, their eyes may seem bluish-gray or brownish in color. At this point, there is no sure way to tell if your baby's eye color will change or remain the same.
There is no specific time by when your baby's eyes should start changing color. Some mothers claim that their babies' eyes darkened within a few weeks after birth. Other kids may show no eye-color changes for three or four months. Changing of eye color is a slow and gradual process, which is why you may not notice any difference for a while. Normally, eye color changes are gradual and may not be very evident. However, if you notice any drastic and sudden changes in your baby's eyes, you need to visit a pediatrician immediately.
According to Dr. Lee S Friedman of the Florida Eye Microsurgical Institute, babies who are born with very light blue eyes, or green eyes usually retain their eye color for the rest of their lives. In case your baby is born with brown colored eyes, of if your baby's eyes turn brownish within the first year, it is quite likely that your baby will have brown eyes. Color changes are usually evident in babies born with grayish or blue eyes.
Permanent eye colors are usually not set for the first 9 or 10 months of life. After birth, exposure to light increases the production of melanin in your baby's eyes. As the pigments in your baby's eyes develop, you will notice a slight darkening in the eye color over the first year or so. However, do bear in mind that the color of your baby's eyes can change even after the first year of life. In fact, eye color changes could go on for up to 3 or even 4 years.
When most babies are born, parents get worried that they may be cross-eyed because their eyes often move in different directions. However, this should stop as the baby grows older. Your baby should use both eyes by 3 to 6 months. If a baby's eyes seem crossed most of the time, it is not normal and should be checked by a pediatrician without any delay.
Submitted by J on September 11, 2012 at 06:35