Expert: Dana Krempels, Ph.D. - 8/4/2007

Question
hi dana, it would be great if you could answer this question for me,i have dark blonde hair with blue eyes and my partner has very dark hair with greeny hazel eyes so what colour hair and eyes will our baby have? thanks alot

Answer
Dear Kim,

Hair color and eye color in humans are each controlled by several genes, and this makes it nearly impossible to accurately predict the eye and hair color of a baby unless the parents both express the recessive conditions (blue eyes; blonde hair).

If both parents have light-colored eyes (hazel counts), then the baby will most likely have light-colored eyes, though whether they will be blue or hazel (or green) is not possible to predict.

Dark hair is dominant to lighter hair, so unless the father has some blonde genes in his heritage, the baby will be more likely to have darker hair than lighter hair.  This, too, though, is not fully predictable.

So in short, your baby will probably have blue/green/hazel eyes with hair that's anywhere from medium brown to dark brown.  Unless dad has some hidden blonde genes, in which case the hair could be lighter.

Whatever the color, I hope you have a lovely, healthy baby.

Take care,
Dana