Your babies big eyes looking up at you - is there a greater feeling in the world?
As parents, you might find yourself wondering if they will stay pale blue or dark brown or whatever colour they happen to be.
When will they settle on a particular shade, you might ask yourself.
And the answer?
It's not as soon as you might expect to be.
Accordng to Dr. Jen Trachtenberg, assistant clinical director of pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine, The Mount Sinai Medical Centre, ''Most babies are born with blue or grey eyes.''
Eye colour is determined by melanin ( a dark pigment) which is activated by the exposure to light we get after birth.
She said, ''In newborns, the process is still developing, and it can darken over time, depending on how much of the pigment is produced.''
She continued, ''Usually, darker-skinned babies have darker eyes to begin with, and lighter-skinned babies often have lighter blue eyes at the start.''
It takes until the baby is nine to twelve months old for a definite shade to eb established.
Also - it is related to genetics.
Dr. Trachtenberg said, ''Even two brown-eyed parents may have a blue-eyed child if one of the grandparents had light or blue eyes."
However, if you notice your child's eye colour changing later on in life, it is no reason to panic - it might just be genes kicking in later than usual.
Whatever colour your little one's eyes end up with - the guessing game is always fun.
