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Ask A Childbirth Educator
Questions and Answer

Q. I was wondering which genes determine the babies eye color? I have brown eyes, my mother has brown eyes and my father has blue. My husband has blue and so do his mother and father. What are the chances of our baby having blue eyes?

A. It depends on which gene you contribute. Blue is recessive and brown is dominant. You can have a dominant gene for brown and a recessive for blue, but give your recessive for blue to your baby, which, combined with the father's blue, will give him blue eyes. If you contribute your brown, it is likely the baby will have brown eyes, as brown is dominant.This is very very simplified but you get the idea. The child gets one gene for eye color from each parent....the genes combine to determine which color it will be.

Karen Klimsak-Ungar, CCE has been a certified childbirth educator for Birth Works® since 1996. She is currently Managing Editor for the Birth Works newsletter, sits on the Birth Works Board of Directors, and serves on their National Trainee Review Committee. A happily married mother of two, she also continues to teach Birth Works classes as well as private classes.

Karen will answer your questions on fertility, pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and babies. Her advice does not take the place of your practitioner. Personal answers will not always be possible.