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I have a question and I really need help. My mom is O+ and my father was O- and I am A+. Can you explain how this happened or did I get switched at birth some how? Or in other words, should I look into alternative solutions? My father passed when I was 10 and my mother swears she never messed around. She is also paying for a paternity test on Monday to find out, between her and I. I'm just curious if I should be really worried!?
Thank You!
Ronda
Rhonda,
Thanks for your question. First, a little explanation for blood types. Blood types are composed of two factors: the type itself (A, O, B) and the Rh factors (+ or - ). According to traditional blood type calculation, two parents with type O blood can only produce a type O offspring. In order for an individual with an O type to produce an A type offspring, the other biological parent must be of blood type A or AB. Hope that helps.
EDIT:
You are correct. There is a very rare occurrence called the Bombay phenotype, where an individual has the hh blood group. Because people with the Bombay phenotype can not create A or B antigens, they are usually tested as blood type O, resulting in a false typing. Sorry for the oversight.
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 1 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | WRONG!! Before you make other kids/parents worried let ME fill YOU in! This can MOST CERTAINLY happen! It's called a recessive gene. My parents could of had 20 kids and all be O something (- or ) and I would be the ONLY A child. This IS a FLUKE of nature but it is happening more and more today. IF someone doesn't beleive me, call your American Red Cross, they'll be HAPPY to explain how this happens. After much stress and looking on line and EVERYONE saying.. "NO POSSIBLE WAY" and spending $800 for test to only find out YEP it can and HAS!!!! So thank you for your time, but you are wrong. So next time someone asks this question, please tell them YES it can, it's a fluke but it's a recessive gene on EITHER side of the parents! Thanks for your answer!!!! | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Sophia Jane Carter
Expertise
I can answer basic questions related to heritable diseases, and moderate level questions regarding genetics and biology in general. Please, no questions on what your future children will look like. I will happily answer questions regarding the inheritance of hair or eye colour, genetic diseases, genetic traits, etc..., but anything phrased as "I look like X and my partner look like Y; what will our baby look like?" will be sent to the question pool.
Experience
For a year I served as a intern in a plant genetics laboratory, in addition to having completed a very tough biology curriculum.
Education/Credentials
I have a BA in anthropology (focus on biological anthropology) from UC Berkeley.
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