What Will Your Child Look Like? 7 Traits Inherited Exclusively from Fathers (8 Photos)

Genetics can be wildly unpredictable. Sometimes people are born with polydactyly—extra fingers or toes—and sometimes, quite unexpectedly, white parents welcome a dark-skinned newborn…

One thing is certain: our parents provide the blueprint for our genetic makeup, which makes it possible to predict what a child will be like long before they are even conceived.





Height



A child’s height is largely shaped by their father’s genes. Tall men almost always have tall children.

Eye Color





Paternal genes often dominate here as well. There is a strong chance that a baby will inherit their father’s eye color and facial structure.

Crooked Teeth



The genes responsible for jaw size and dental structure are more active on the paternal side. Because of this, a child can easily inherit crooked teeth or delicate tooth enamel directly from their father.

Intelligence



This is where things get truly intriguing. Research shows that genius fathers don't pass their extreme intelligence directly to their sons. Fortunately, lower intelligence isn't inherited down the male line either. Fathers pass on their intellectual traits only partially to their daughters—meaning if a father is exceptionally smart, his daughter inherits roughly half of that cognitive edge.

However, her future sons may inherit the full intellect of their maternal grandfather, while her daughters will take after their own father's mental abilities.

Mental Health Disorders



Conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia can be passed down from fathers to their offspring. The older the father, the higher the risk, as sperm DNA is subject to cumulative mutations over the years. Women, by contrast, are born with their lifetime reserve of eggs, keeping their genetic material constant throughout their lives.

Heart Problems



Scientists at the University of Leicester found that men who carry a specific Y-chromosome lineage face a 50% higher risk of coronary artery disease. Fathers can pass this vulnerability directly to their children—most notably to their sons.

The Baby’s Sex



Looking closely at a man’s family tree can often offer a reliable clue about the sex of his future child. If his lineage is predominantly female, the odds are high that he will have a baby girl.