New parents often ask what color I think the baby’s eyes are
going to be. I never answer this question until the child is at
least 1 year old; I mean, what if the parents believe me and use
my answer to make major life decisions? When we talk about eye
color, we’re really talking about the appearance of the iris,
the muscular ring around the pupil that controls how much light
enters the eye. After all, the pupil will always be black,
except in flash photos, and the whites (sclera) should stay
pretty much white, although jaundice may turn them yellow and
inflammation may make them look pink or red. Gray or Blue Eyes
at Birth Iris color, just like hair and skin color, depends on a
protein called melanin. We have specialized cells in our bodies
called melanocytes whose job it is to go around secreting
melanin where it’s needed, including in the iris. When your baby
is born his eyes will be gray or blue, as melanocytes respond to
light, and he has spent his whole life in the dark. Eye Color
Changes Over Time Over