My eyes are a deep chocolate brown shade, but my husband’s are light blue like the sea. I have always thought brown eyes are a more dominant gene.This got me thinking, so I have decided to do some research into baby eye colours.
I asked my friend about her little boy’s eye colour when he was born as he has deep brown eyes now, and she said his was blue when he was born.OK still hope for my little girl to have my eye colouring. At six months old she said his eyes went brown after being grey for 3 months.
Really, I said to her, so they do change colour it’s not a myth then?
She must have thought I was a bit stupid.
As a first time mum unless you read up on stuff like this in books or on Google you really don’t have a clue.Where do you find the time to do that as a new mummy?
I’m sure most new mum’s like me are up to their ears in nappy changes, feeding, sterilising, clothes washing and the constant tidying up.
Whilst I came up with this idea for a post I thought I had better look up baby’s eye colours and see what exactly happens.Will my husband win the blue eye battle or me with brown eyes?
What are the odds?
I started reading lots of different articles about babies eye colours and they can also have neither of the parents eye colours but can inherit a grandparent’s colouring.Well this has put a cat amongst the pigeons so to speak as my dad’s eyes are a greeny colour!
So that has just thrown another angle into the “discussion”.
So I have discovered that something called melanin is responsible for the colour of the iris and the amount that is present, has something to do with the genes that the baby has.When the baby arrives into the outside world the melanin production in the eyes is kickstarted by the bright light. A small increase in melanin means the eye colour will stay blue. A larger increase produces darker colours like brown.
Won! 😉 xx
How interesting! All three of my boys have blue eyes like me even though James' eyes are a hazel colour. I'm glad I wont the eye colour battle 😉 #KCACOLS xx
Fab post Rachel – this is something we talked about a lot when E was younger! Both grandpa's have sky blue eyes so we wondered if the blue gene would creep in….alas no she has dark brown eyes like her mama. Thank you for hosting #KCACOLS lovely to join in xxx
My mum had two kids and still managed to get into her 50s without knowing that nearly all caucasian babies are born with blue eyes, but they can change colour. I have green eyes. My partner has blue, and both girls' eyes have stayed blue like his. I wanted them to get the green, as it's rarer, but knew it wasn't so likely, because it is rarer and not as dominant a gene as blue and brown. Hair and eye colour are very complex though, as there are a lot of variables involved. You always get told a really simplified version of the genetics of it in school, don't you, but the reality is not quite like that! #KCACOLS
I always thought the brown eyed gene was the dominant one, maybe that's just urban myth? Did you find any more about the genetics of it, or is it all down to melanin production? Interesting!! #KCACOLS
I believe more or less all children are born with blue eyes. Caspian still has his at 16 months, and that's despite my OH having brown and I have green eyes. For this to happen we both need to carry the gen for blue eyes and I've read there's still actually only a 12,5% chance of him having blue eyes, but he does and they are stunning. Will be interesting to see what happens with your little girl's #KCACOLS
Nadia – ScandiMummy x
We both have blue/green eyes as does our daughter. I was also watching intently to see whether her eyes would change colour. Now she is almost 4 her eyes are still the same vivid blue. 🙂 #KCACOLS
I have brown, husband has blue. Biggest is 3 and his are definitely blue and not going to change. Littlest, a girl, is a lot more tricky. At 17 months, they still haven't settled. They're definitely not blue but are a hazely browny green. Some days I think they're definitely going brown, like mine. Other days I think they may go green! It's a fun thing to watch 🙂 #KCACOLS
I thought that all babies started with blue and then went to whatever colour they were destined to be!:) No idea really but my boys both ended up with chocolate brown ones:)
mainy x
#KCACOLS
I've always thought they could change colour, will be interesting to see if your baby's do! #KCACOLS
I was born with blue eyes but ended up Hazel. Both of my kids were born with blue eyes and they stayed blue, the traitors!! #KCACOLS
We did research on this as well because I have a family full of blue eyes and my husbands mostly have brown. I was hopeful for blue and that's what it ended up being so I have a bright red headed boy with beautiful blue eyes. Which I believe is supposed to be a unique combination. We will have to see what happens to your child's. #KCACOLS #TribalLove
A great article Rachel, and I'm looking forward to hearing the end result. My little girl was born with the brightest blue eyes, they have now turned a little greyer but are still blue. I have thought that they would be brown being the dominant gene, and my husband has brown eyes, but blue seems to have won the battle (yay!). Hope you've enjoyed guest co-hosting. Claire x #KCACOLS
Perhaps grandad will win! I have the same eyes are my maternal grandmother, but again they were blue when I was born. #kcacols
Both of my girls eyes stayed blue, i have blue eyes and my hubby has hazel. Both my brother and sister though have brown eyes from my mum, my dad has hazel eyes. I find babies fascinating in general! #KCACOLS
Science is a pretty amazing thing!! Its amazing that we created those little things! WOW ~KCACOLS
This is really interesting, I distinctly remember learning that brown the the dominant gene in biology too. It's a real mishmash in our house as Hubs has grey-blue eyes and I have hazel/green/pondweed lol! Little man has gotten mine, but they are a lot prettier! 😉 #kcaccols
ooh I'll be interested to see what happens – my bet is that they will stay blue! Me and the hubby both have slightly green eyes, but our daughter's are a clear blue. I think they will probably change slightly over the years but who knows!? #KCACOLS x
I wonder this all the time. My son is currently four months old and still has super bright blue eyes. Heres hoping!! #KCOCALS
Ooh I would like to know. This is actually a good one for me as I have hazel eyes, hubby's are bluey/green but our daughter has deep brown eyes. Everyone comments on them and often say are they yours or your husband's eyes! Hehe. I thought that was interesting until our baby boy came along with ginger hair! We both have brown lol. He is only 3 months old and I didn't think they still had time to change so that's really interesting. Thanks for co-hosting #KCACOLS 🙂
Wow, I was hoping my children would have my eye color since it is truly the only thing I love about my looks, haha! But they got dads 🙁 Interesting thoughts, #kcacols
the teen had blue eyes that went brown, but the preteen has always had brown eyes.. its strange isn't it lol! Im sure her eyes will be beautiful whatever the colour 🙂 can't wait to hear now lol #kcacols
Wow there seems to be so many factors! We both have blue eyes so I thought that was that but didn't realise the grandparents eye colour could have a part to play. Yes, enjoy the waiting game! #KCACOLS
This is a great post, I did the same research a few months ago as me and Baby J and blue eyes but Hubs has brown. I guess I'll have to wait and see!
#KCACOLS
My little girl was born with steel blue eyes, but they slowly turned brown like mine. My little boy has his dad's baby blues though which are as bright as the day he was born. #KCACOLS
I have green eyes and hubby has greyish eyes (odd I know) and little miss has the chocolatyist brown eyes. You could melt in them! #kcacols
Well now this is interesting! My daughter has bright blue eyes like her Daddy, my baby boy (4 months also!) has bright blue eyes too, which I was a bit gutted about- I was hoping one of them would have my brown eyes! Your research has given me a bit hope that baby boy's might change yet though! xx #triballove #KCACOLS
Oops I mean #KCACOLS!!
Eye colour is a funny one because I have eyes that look so different in different light. Bluey, greeny, grey. My oldest daughter's eyes are like her grandad's a lovely green. My youngest has brown eyes like her dad. I can't remember when they changed. #Fortheloveofblog
All this time, I had no idea that eyes can change colour! Both me and hubby have blue eyes and so do the kids, so I hadn't a clue!
Laura xx
#KCACOLS
Ah interesting! I have blue eyes and my partner has brown – we have 3 kids. Our eldest has blue eyes, our middle one has brown eyes (They changed early, around 2 months!) and our youngest is 4 months old and his are still very blue – I'd be surprised if they changed! x
Whoops, forgot to add – #KCACOLS!
that's a really good idea for a post very interesting. my eldest his eyes and Brown and my youngest had stayed blue x #KCACOLS
The boys didn't change colour til he was about 6 months when they turned hazel brown. Sorry blue eyed Daddy! I love thinking about the genes that go into making your children it's so interesting. People get so confused – I had a friend who was convinced she must be adopted because she was a blue eyed child of brown eyed parents, she never would believe me that only the other way round wasn't possible because blue is recessive haha xx #KCACOLS
This was something I never knew happened until I had children. It freaked me out when I heard it, but both my kids stayed blue like me. Isn't it amazing all these little things you learn.
#KCACOLS
I spent so much time looking at Marianna's eyes to see if I could find any hint of colour change – I was so interested to see how it would happen. A little at a time, all at once, one eye more than the other… They stayed bright blue though, like her dad's, so I'm still none the wiser! x #KCACOLS
My eyes are blue and my husband's are green. I was convinced our son's eyes were going to change colour because everyone says he is the spitting image of DH but luckily they have stayed blue so at least I won that one!! #KCACOLS
This is so interesting. I didn't know babies' eyes could change colours! Over here on our side of the pond, everyone has brown eyes!
#KCACOLS
An interesting read. I look forward to finding out! Blue eyes can definitely turn brown as I know from one of mine 🙂 #KCACOLS
hehe, my boys started blue and have gone darker. they are more a grey/brown now! #KCACOLS
Luckily my hubby and I both have blue eyes so both our boys have blue too. I do find it fascinating that babies eyes can change colour of their parents have different eye colours or weirder… none have blue eyes yet baby can keep blue eyes and be the odd one out! Its impossible the other way around. #kcacols
I too am eagerly awaiting to see what my babies eyes do in terms of changing colour At the moment Josh has massive blue eyes but mine are very green and my husbands are a grey shade so I'll be interested to see what they do xx #KCACOLS
My daughter has blue eyes like me and her dad has brown so they never changed! I actually always thought blue was the more dominant colour I don't know why I think this though? #kcacols
My daughter's eyes were a dark blue when she was born, but they got darker until they were brown and have stayed that way (she's now 12 months). My husband has brown eyes and mine are green – hers are lighter than his, so I guess her eye colour is a mix between both of us. I used to wish my baby would have green eyes when I was pregnant, but my daughter's big, brown eyes are her most stunning feature and people comment on them all the time – I can't imagine her any other way. #KCACOLS #triballove
I have either read or heard somewhere that your child's eyes can change in colour up until they are five years of age. So there is still bags of time if this is indeed correct. In our household all four of us have the same colour eyes and they changed with our mood or what we are wearing. Which you can also see in various pictures.xx #KCACOLS
Really interesting post. My baby has bright blue eyes and I wondered of they'd stay like this – she's 10 months now so I guess they're here to stay 🙂 #KCACOLS
Youngest has blue eyes like her dad and Oldest has greeny brown eyes like me! It took Oldest's eyes quite a while to changed, I was convinced she was going to stay blue #KCACOLS
Ohh I wonder what colour they will be my boys eyes were quite dark when he was born, it didn't take long for them to turn blue though and now he has the brightest blue eyes I've even seen. Both me and my husband have blue eyes though so it was always likely Leo's would be blue too. I'm interested to see if your little one's change to brown xz #kcacols
I love how it works, I spent ages trying to explain it to my father in law during my pregnancy – every eye colour has 2 parts to the gene like X and Y one from each parent. Let's say X is blue and y is brown) brown is dominant, which means if you have brown eyes you could be either XY or YY both will show up as brown. If you have blue eyes you need two blue genes so blue will only ever be XX (If you have parents who one is blue and one is brown then you will def be an XY). Two blue eyed parents can only have a blue eyed baby as there is no 'Y' gene. Your husband will be XX. Your baby will only be blue if you are XY rather than YY.
Arthur was born with deep dark brown eyes and they have stayed that way. I am blue and my husband is a hazel brown. Arthur's great grandad who was also called Arthur had really dark eyes and I love that little link. Genetics is amazing really! #KCACOLS
Both my kids have dark brown eyes, while I have black and my husband got grey… Honestly, I would have liked them to have blue eyes though. #KCACOLS
back from #KCACOLS – love reading through the comments!
We are both brown haired and brown eyed yer Little B is blonde with blue eyes. We each have a blonde-haired blue-eyed sibling so my midwife told me there was a one in four chance we'd have a blonde-haired blue-eyed baby! #KCACOLS
Ah we are both blue eyed so think we are on a safe bet with Pudding! It's cool how they change though. I look forward to hearing if your little one goes brown! x #kcacols
I Googled it too as I was interested to see how long it took for the change to take place. I remember being surprised it's as long as 6-9 months, but it was accurate for our daughter.
#KCACOLS
Both my children went from blue (like me) to brown (like NW) within 9 months. We had a little row. #KCACOLS
My hubby didn't know that babies' eyes change colour either. Fortunately I mentioned it to him the day before Little M was born, otherwise he'd have thought she had inherited his blue eyes from the off! Like you, I have brown eyes and hubby has blue eyes, but my mum has blue eyes too so I know I have that recessive blue-eyed gene somewhere inside me! So I guess that means Little M has a 50:50 chance of having hubby's blue eyes or my brown ones. She's only three weeks old so we've got even more waiting to do than you have before we can find out! xx #KCACOLS #triballove
I have blue eyes and my husband has brown. Our son has blue eyes and our daughter has brown. Sorry this is really unhelpful! Ha #KCACOLS
I did the exact same thing as you and googled when I had my eldest because his eyes were green when he was younger! Mine are brown and my husbands are green. I was desperate for them to stay green, they are currently brown but they are a lighter brown in the summer! #KCACOLS
My little ones eyes only just started turning from blue to hazely AT 18 months. He has blue-green now. The baby still has his baby blues at 14 months though! #KCACOLS
Oooh how interesting! I had no idea about the melanin. I have bluish grey eyes and my husband has brown. My eldest has very dark brown eyes (and was born that way) and my youngest has blue like mine. And they didn't change either. I'll be interested to know what happens! xx #KCACOLS
Ooh will be interesting to see!My hubby has green eyes, I have blue and both younger children have bright blue eyes x #kcacols
All kids starter with graphite eyes that went various shades of brown. We're sk so interested to see if the gingeryness develops! #KCACOLS
I have blue eyes, like my eldest son. My youngest son has hazel eyes exactly like his Dad. Interesting!
#KCACOLS
Ah, interesting. Both Cygnet's father and I have blue eyes so it was a done deal from the start. Pen x #KCACOLS
I have green eyes, daddy has brown… and we have two blue-eyed children. Who the flip knows! #KCACOLS
Clem has brown like me, her dad has grey/blue/green depending on the day it seems.x #triballove
Aww my three all have my husband's amazing blue eyes – they are very lucky as his are gorgeous! Interesting read though so thank you #triballove
I always thought blue was the most dominant! I know parents with brown eyes have blue eyed babies but not vice-versa!
Lucy X
#TribalLove