Lost in the Lyon’s Garden not only has an analytical and caring hero and an over the top brave heroine, it has a newborn babe who will steal your heart away. Not the child of the hero and heroine, for they are both the children of vicars, but that of a close relative, and the child requires their protection and their love. In the story they mention the child’s blue eyes and marvel whether they will always be blue. So are all children born with blue eyes?

No, not all babies are born with blue eyes. While many babies, especially those of European descent, may appear to have blue eyes at birth, this is often due to a lack of melanin (a pigment that provides color) in the iris at that time. As babies are exposed to light, their eyes may darken to green, hazel, or brown as melanin production increases. Studies show that a significant percentage of newborns, particularly those of Asian, Black, and Hispanic descent, are born with brown eyes. VSP Direct

Here’s why:

Melanin, produced by melanocytes, is the pigment responsible for eye color. 

Melanocytes respond to light, and at birth, babies are in a relatively dark environment (the womb). As they are exposed to light, melanin production increases, potentially changing eye color. 

While melanin plays a role, genetics also determine the potential for eye color. Babies inherit genes from their parents that influence how much melanin their melanocytes produce. 

The idea that all babies are born with blue eyes is a myth. Many babies of color are born with brown or hazel eyes. 

Eye color can change in the first few years of life, but brown eyes are less likely to change than blue or green eyes. 

Healthline tells us, “Before the phrase “baby blues” came to refer to postpartum sadness (which is not the same as postpartum depression), it was actually a common synonym for “eyes.” Why? Well, because all babies are born with blue eyes, right? Wrong. Feast your baby blues upon this fun fact: Worldwide, more newborns have brown eyes than blue. And while it’s true that many babies have blue or gray eyes at first, it’s important to know that eye color can change for months after birth. And there are plenty of infants gazing out at their new surroundings with hazel and brown eyes, too. In fact, a 2016 Stanford University study involving 192 newborns found that nearly two-thirds of themTrusted Source were born with brown eyes, while only about 1 in 5 babies arrived with blue eyes. The Stanford researchers also noted, however, that the majority of babies in the study born with blue eyes were Caucasian. Those of other ethnic groups, including Asian and Hispanic, were more often born with brown eyes.”