Who Will My Baby Look Like When It's Born?
During pregnancy, a large number of expectations arise regarding the baby and, above all, the entire family begins to ask the following question: Who will the baby look like when it’s born? Certainly, we all want to anticipate the events in order to try to overcome uncertainty.
However, we must bear in mind that babies don’t obtain traits at random, but are the product of a genetic combination.
Genes are the segments of DNA with the information necessary for the synthesis of a protein. They’re transmitted through gametes and regulate the manifestation of heritable characters. Therefore, the genotype is the set of genes that an organism contains and that has been inherited from its parents.
When asking Who will my baby look like when it’s born?, obviously, both genotype and phenotype must be taken into account. The latter refers to the external manifestation of the genotype. It’s the result that we can perceive with the five senses, and, in other words, the face that’s shown to the world.
Although genetic inheritance can’t be modified, the phenotype can be altered depending on the interactions that arise between the organism and the environment. Therefore, if there’s a common characteristic in your family, this doesn’t mean that your child will be born with it; but it’s that they will. It’s important to take into account all the variables and, if doubts persist, consult a specialist doctor.
On the other hand, although this question can concern some parents, it shouldn’t be your top priority. Who the baby will look like when it’s born should be the least of your concerns; First of all, you must be concerned about their well-being. However, as we need a space to dream, let’s see what the odds are.
The question: Who will my baby look like?
Although every baby has two parents, human genetics has many mysteries; In other words, a baby doesn’t necessarily have to resemble their parents. However, it’s a fact that it will have common characteristics of the two families to which it’s related.
A baby can inherit both dominant genes and recessive genes from its parents.
What determines the resemblance of a baby?
Nowadays, you don’t have to wait too long to find out what your baby will be like. Many modern ultrasounds allow accurate close-ups of your child’s face while still in the womb. This is to give you an idea of what it will be like, but newborns change quickly.
After a few weeks, your little one may be very different from the one that was born, and of course, it will also be different from the one you saw on the ultrasound. The truth is that the appearance changes, although several features are preserved, not all of them will remain in time as is.
The real responsible factor for determining who the baby will look like when it’s born are the genes found in the DNA.
The baby’s DNA is formed from its parents, so there’s no identical DNA. There are thousands of genes that make up DNA, some with greater potential to define characteristics than others. So, where the dominant genes are, that’s where the baby’s traits will come from.
The combination by which the new being is formed is very equitable. Both the father and the mother have the same number of probabilities of being dominant, a total of 23 chromosomes each.
No one in the family can have the same DNA combination except in the case of identical twins, and siblings are the closest in similarity.
What are the dominant genes?
Scientifically, it’s been revealed that certain traits are more dominant than others, and this will continue to be the case. Among the most dominant characteristics according to genetic analysis, we have the following:
- Brown eyes tend to be more dominant than green or blue. There may be surprises, but the brown eye color will most likely win the game.
- Regarding skin color, brown skin will always prevail over light skin.
- According to height, if both parents are tall, there is nothing to worry about, because the baby will be, too. However, the same happens if they’re short. When one is tall and the other is short, factors other than genetics play a role. For example, nutrition and health are decisive.
- According to studies, intelligence is inherited from the mother. However, education and the environment have a lot to do with the development of major skills.
Some genes are more likely than others. Therefore, although the baby will have half the genes inherited from each parent, it will tend to resemble a particular member more than the other.
From now on, the question who will my baby look like when he is born? will no longer be the same.