Yahoo! to World: Most Babies Born with Blue Eyes

SUNNYVALE, CA - Internet search engine giant Yahoo! (Nasdaq:YHOO) has provoked international puzzlement and concern among parents worldwide with its recent statement that "most babies are born with blue eyes."

Early press reports indicated that parents in Africa, India, China, and South America were expressing concern and scheduling eye appointments upon receiving the news that their children were not born with normal eyes. Opthamologists in those areas reported a dramatic increase in inquiries from concerned parents, and international agencies prepared for a barrage of inquiries.

The report, which was released January 10, appeared as an article in the Ask Yahoo! feature on the company's public website. In response to a question from "Ally in San Mateo" to the question "Why are all babies born with blue eyes?" the company provided the following response:

...most babies are born with blue eyes (perhaps this explains the phrase "baby blues"). Dr. Anne Marie Helmenstine of About.com explains that the transformation has to do with the protein melanin. Melanin is a brownish pigment that adds color to your hair, eyes, and skin. At the time babies are born, melanin hasn't yet been "deposited" in the eyes' iris. Hence, they appear blue.

After about six months, eyes change color depending on the amount of melanin. If you have a lot of it, your eyes will turn brown or black. If you have little, they'll stay blue.

The site went on to note that "human beings aren't the only creatures with freaky color-morphing eyeballs. Kittens experience the same phenomenon."

International Reaction

In a small town outside the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, a young mother named Brihan absorbed the news as her young toddler, Kessete, played contentedly on a blanket in the family's modest home.

"It's a shock," she said quietly, eyeing her young child. "He seems so normal."

Her child held out his hands, and she placed him in her lap. He giggled happily.

"We're not sure what we should do," she continued. "The eye doctors are busy as a result of this news. We can't get an appointment."

Officials urged calm in the wake of the news.

"People should not overreact to this," said Abdul Jamid, executive director of Eyes Worldwide, a non-governmental organization specializing in Third-World ocular health issues. "Whether or not a baby is born with blue eyes or brown eyes is not a major health concern. As Yahoo! made very clear in its statement, melanin is formed in the eyes in the early stages of life. There is no cause for alarm."

"I will admit that this is surprising, however," he said. "I frankly had no idea."

Article Author: Jumper Bailey

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