Expert answer: The BabyCenter Editorial Team
There are a number of reasons for dark circles under your baby's eyes, and almost all are normal, says pediatrician Tanya Remer Altmann, editor of The Wonder Years: Helping Your Baby and Young Child Successfully Negotiate the Major Developmental Milestones.
"The skin under everyone's eyes is thinner than on the rest of the face," says Altmann. Some people who have darker skin tones, including those with Middle Eastern or Mediterranean backgrounds, have darker pigmentation that could give the appearance of circles under the eyes, she says. It's also common for a tired baby to rub his or her eyes, making the sensitive under-eye skin turn red.
A lot of parents blame allergies for dark circles, but Altmann says seasonal allergies generally don't show up in children under a year old. "Babies usually need to be exposed to environmental allergens for one or two seasons before they get hay fever," she says.
In very rare cases, darkness around the eyes can be caused by something more serious. If the skin under your baby's eyes is very dark, says Altmann, point it out to your baby's doctor.