There are two common myths about babies’ eyes.
One: that they’re born with their eyes already fully grown. And two: that
all babies are born with blue eyes that change color over time. Neither of these
is true but like many enduring myths it’s easy to see where the
misunderstanding comes from. Babies’ eyes do grow after they’re born.
There are usually two growth periods. One in the first few years of life and the
second during puberty. But the eyes don’t grow as much, in proportion, as other
parts of the body. At birth, a baby may only be one-quarter of its adult height.
But the eyes at birth are often already more than two thirds of their adult size.
This makes the eyes appear larger compared to the rest of the body and
makes their growth much less noticeable. As for babies being born with blue eyes
that change color — that is common but it’s a myth that all babies are born
with blue eyes. Some babies are born with darker eyes. Those babies with blue eyes
typically have less melanin skin pigment. Melanin continues to develop after birth
and it can turn the blue eyes brown or hazel. Often this change happens in the
first year, but it can continue for a few more years in some children.