The Causes of Down Syndrome During Pregnancy and How to Test for It

You may have heard about genetic testing for Down Syndrome during pregnancy. But what exactly is Down Syndrome? What are your chances of birthing a baby with this condition? Researchers do not know a lot about what causes Down Syndrome, but they do know a lot about how it works. There is also a lot of knowledge out there about some specific risk factors that increase your chances of having a baby with Down Syndrome.

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What Are The Chances My Baby Will Have Blue Eyes? A Genetic Explanation

Blue is one of the rarest eye colors worldwide. The genetic mutation behind blue eyes actually switches off the gene that colors eyes brown and leaves them blue. Everyone with blue eyes is related to a single, common ancestor. This ancestor most likely lived close to the Baltic Sea between six and ten thousand years ago. What color eyes will your baby have? When a new addition is on the way, it’s only natural to wonder about their appearance. Will your baby have blue eyes? There is no way to be totally sure, but you can make a good guess. Read More

The Key Signs Your Child Has Selective Hearing and What to Do About It

My family used to joke that I couldn't hear directions in the same room but I could hear the sound of a chocolate bar unwrapping all the way across the house with the TV blaring. Clearly, the issue wasn't hearing loss , but rather a disconnect when it came to dividing my attention between different speakers (or in my case, between a speaker and a candy wrapper!) Concerned about hearing loss? It could be selective hearing. Selective hearing is the natural process by which we filter out background noise, picking up the auditory information that is important to us. Selective hearing is a helpful phenomenon, but it can become problematic if the brain filters out what it should be paying attention to. Read More

Is Intelligence Inherited? A Genetic Explanation

Do you ever wonder if your child's cognitive ability was inherited or if it's based on environmental factors? In fact, human intelligence is a fairly equal mix of genetics and environmental influences. Genetic differences in cognition are more likely to be passed on from mother to child than from father to child (so all you moms reading this, you were right all along). Read More

What Blood Type Will My Baby Have? A Genetic Explanation

Wondering what your baby's blood type will be? Blood type is inherited from both biological parents. There's no way to be sure what your baby's blood type is without a blood test, but you can narrow down the possibilities if you know your blood type and your partner's. Red blood cells have substances on their surfaces that vary from person to person. The particular substance on your own blood cells determines your blood type. There are two blood group classifications: the ABO system and the Rh system. Continue Reading

Will My Baby's Eye Color Change?

Will your baby’s blue eyes stay that way? It’s possible, but not guaranteed. Babies born with blue or grey-colored eyes may end up with a different eye color later on. This is because of the pigmentation process, which continues to develop after a baby is born. Caucasion babies are generally born with blue or grey eyes, but much of the time, their eyes darken to green, hazel, or brown by age one. Some babies won’t settle into a final eye color until closer to age two. Read More

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