It’s a common belief that newborn babies tend to look more like their fathers than their mothers. This belief likely stems from the uncertainty of paternity in the era before DNA testing. When infants resembled their fathers, it helped confirm the paternal lineage. However, does science actually support the notion that babies look more like their dads? Let’s explore this topic in more detail.
Why Do Babies Resemble Their Parents?
Babies inherit a random assortment of genes from both parents. These genes influence traits like eye color, hair color, face shape, and more. When a baby’s features closely match one parent over the other, it’s simply because they happened to inherit more of that parent’s genetic variants.
Some research suggests that babies look more like their dads during the first three days after birth. One theory is that this temporary phenomenon relates to epigenetics. Environmental exposures in the womb seem to have a greater impact on which paternal genes get activated. However, maternal genes become more influential as the baby continues developing after birth.
Evidence That Babies Resemble Fathers
Several studies provide evidence of newborns resembling fathers more than mothers:
Facial Recognition Software
In 2009, researchers at the Centre of Family Research at the University of Cambridge used facial recognition software to analyze pictures of parents and their 1-day-old babies.[1] They found the software was better at matching photos of infants with photos of fathers rather than mothers. This suggests a stronger resemblance to paternal features.
Human Observations
Other researchers have relied on human observations:
- In 1995, a study had observers examine photos of 40 mothers, fathers, and newborns. Based on facial measurements, they found babies shared more similarities with fathers.[2]
- A 1999 study used an online survey to ask adults whether infants more often looked like their mother or father. Approximately two-thirds reported babies resembled fathers the most.[3]
Analyzing Family Photos
A 2010 study examined facial measurements in photos of 100 mother-father-infant trios.[4] Their analysis showed the proportions of male and female newborn faces were more consistent with measurements typical of adult male faces. This suggests babies’ early features are more paternal than maternal in appearance.
Criticisms of the Research
However, some experts have criticized these studies for limitations such as small sample sizes or lack of random sampling. The facial recognition software also has a bias toward male faces. Researchers acknowledge it’s an inexact tool for comparing complex family resemblances.
One review noted many variables can influence appearances, including the baby’s: [5]
- Age
- Head position
- Facial expressions
- State of alertness
These factors may skew results if not properly controlled in photography. Overall, some scientists argue there isn’t strong enough evidence to conclude newborns look systematically more like fathers.
Do Babies Resemble One Parent More Than the Other?
In one study, researchers photographed babies within the first 3 days of birth and again 3-4 months later.[6] They asked unrelated observers to choose whether each baby photo more closely resembled the mother or father.
The results showed:
- 1-day-old infants were judged to resemble fathers more than mothers 54% of the time.
- 3-4-month-old infants were judged to resemble mothers more than fathers 61% of the time.
This suggests that while very young babies may seem to look more like fathers, they begin to resemble both parents more equally as they mature.
A Closer Look at the Data
Here’s a breakdown of the percentage of times observers said the babies resembled fathers vs. mothers:
| Baby’s Age | % Resemble Father More | % Resemble Mother More |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day old | 54% | 46% |
| 3-4 months | 39% | 61% |
This table illustrates that while fathers got slightly higher resemblance ratings for newborns, babies just a few months later were judged to look more like mothers. The differences were fairly small, suggesting babies variably resemble both parents.
Do Babies Resemble Fathers More for Evolutionary Reasons?
Some evolutionary psychologists propose that babies evolved to look more like fathers as an unconscious paternity strategy. The idea is that if infants resembled presumed fathers, early men would be less likely to doubt their paternity and more likely to protect them.
However, many argue this theory is flawed:
- Resemblance is an imprecise paternity cue at best.
- Infanticide was probably rare in early human societies.
- Fathers and other male relatives helped care for babies regardless of paternity certainty.
Overall, modern researchers favor more simple genetic explanations over evolutionary adaptations to explain why a baby might strongly resemble one parent.
What Factors Influence Which Parent a Baby Resembles?
Genetics are complex, but here are some factors that likely influence whether newborns look more like mothers or fathers:
Sex of the Baby
Some research indicates that boy babies are more likely to resemble fathers at birth while girl babies are more likely to resemble mothers.[7] This may relate to sex-linked genetic factors.
Genetic Dominance
If one parent has very dominant physical genes, the baby is more likely to resemble that parent. For example, brown eyes are dominant over blue eyes.
Multigenerational Genetics
Strong family genetic qualities passed down through generations can also play a role. For instance, red hair usually requires genes from both parents.
Environmental Exposures
Exposures in the womb potentially have subtle effects on facial development and expressions that influence resemblance.
Chance
With millions of shuffled gene combinations, some babies by chance may heavily favor one parent’s genetic variants over the other.
Do Babies’ Looks Change Quickly?
Babies experience rapid physical changes in early months. It’s common for infants not to resemble their newborn photos once they are a few months old.
Young babies have very rounded faces and soft features. As they grow, distinctive facial structures become more prominent. By 6 months of age, they typically start consistently looking more like their mature selves.[8]
Some researchers argue babies resemble their fathers more in the first days because of this general “round newborn” appearance rather than specific paternal features. They say it likely reflects a bias toward recognizing male features as more “generic.”
When Can Babies Start to Resemble Extended Family?
In the first couple weeks, it can be hard to see any family resemblances beyond parents in a newborn. But babies start to develop more variety in features around 6-8 weeks old.[9]
At this age, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and others may notice similarities. However, babies can continue changing rapidly. They likely will not consistently resemble broader family members until 3-4 months of age.
Do Babies End Up Looking Like One Parent More Than the Other?
For many individuals, family and friends can almost always see a stronger resemblance to one parent. However, this does not happen in all cases.
A 2017 study analyzed photos of parents and children from several different ethnic groups.[10] They used automated face recognition software to compare facial measurements.
Their results showed that on average, children resembled both parents equally. There were only slight differences between resemblances to mothers (50.7%) and fathers (49.3%). The ranges for individual children were also wide.
This implies that while some babies always look more like their mom or more like their dad, plenty end up with a good mix of both parents’ features.
How Often Do Babies Look Like Other Family Members?
It’s also common for people to say babies look like other family members – especially grandparents, aunts, and uncles. One study found the following frequency for babies being told they resembled other relatives:[11]
- Grandparents: 37%
- Aunt/uncle: 21%
- Siblings: 18%
- Cousins: 16%
These results show strong family resemblances outside the parent-child relationship are frequent. It’s not just parents that babies can look like.
Why Might Someone Say “Your Baby Looks Just Like You”?
Even when there’s limited resemblance, friends and family often insist new parents and infants look alike. Why does this happen?
A few psychological factors may be at play:
- People want to compliment new parents.
- We tend to see what we expect to see.
- Seeing family resemblances enhances bonding.
- Babies’ features seem more “generic” and match many people.
So the next time someone swears your baby is your mini-me, they may be picking up on some real similarities. But take the comments with a grain of salt, as many biases can be at play!
Do Babies Start to Look More Like One Parent with Age?
Some research has monitored children’s resemblance patterns as they grow up. One study in the 1980s looked at adopted children in order to remove genetic biases. The researcher showed observers photos of adopted kids and their adoptive parents.[12]
He found that infants tended to resemble fathers more than mothers. But between ages 1-3, they began to increasingly resemble their mothers instead.
Other studies of biological families noticed this pattern as well. The tendency for growing children to look more like mothers probably reflects stronger genetic influences from the X chromosome.
How Can Family Resemblance Change Perceptions?
Seeing family resemblances can unconsciously impact how we judge personality traits.
- Babies thought to resemble dads are rated as more masculine.
- Children seeming to resemble moms are rated as more caring.
- Boys are expected to be more outgoing if they resemble extroverted fathers.
- Girls are expected to be more serious if they resemble stern mothers.
However, these prejudiced perceptions often prove inaccurate once people get to know the child’s actual personality.
Conclusion
In the first days after birth, some research suggests babies may slightly resemble fathers more than mothers. But as they grow up, they tend to physically resemble both parents equally.
While genetics play a role, babies can also look like grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and other family members. Remarks that a baby looks like a parent should be taken lightly, as psychological biases often overstate similarities.
Overall, babies display a delightful mix of familial features as they develop. Both nature and nurture work together to give children their own unique appearances.