Expert: Walter Hintz - 1/4/2007

Question

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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Hello, I am due to have a baby boy in May this year! Can you please give me a rough idea of what Hair and Eye Colour you think out baby boy will have?

I have blonde hair, was ginger when I was born but it changed.I have blue eyes. My Husband has dark brown hair and Hazel/Brown Eyes. My mum, dad and brother all have brown hair and blue eyes, my husbands mum, dad and sister have dark brown hair, his mum has blue eyes, his dad and sister have brown eyes. Hope I have given enough information.
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Hi Hannah
 Predictions like this are somewhat hit or miss but in this case we can get some idea.  You are a blue eyed blonde which means that the only genes you can pass on are blonde and blue.  What the rest of your family have is not a factor.  Now for the baby's father.  I assume he has dark eyes and hair but since his mother has blue eyes he must be carrying a gene for blue eyes.  This would mean that there is a 50/50 chance you will have a boy with dark hair and blue eyes.

Thanks very much for replying so quickly!!! That gives me a good idea. it always fascinates me why me hair was ginger when i was born and then went blonde and no one else in my family has ever had ginger hair. Do you not think then that the gene for ginger hair is strong/likely then???? I had visualised me having a baby with dark hair and blue eyes.
Thankyou in anticipation for your help and advice its much appreciated

Answer
The problem with predicting pigmentation is that such traits are polygenic. That is there are more than single alleles (genes) involved.  Therefore hair color is not either or but comes in shades as does skin and eye color.  Eye color then could be light blue medium blue or dark blue or even hazel or green.  In your case it could account for reddish hair that got lighter.