As soon as you find out you’re pregnant, the anticipation of “who does the baby look like” begins. But have you ever wondered about what other traits your child may inherit from you or his father? In this blog post, let’s talk about one of the genetic mysteries that parents often wonder about: Which parent determines a child’s blood type?
Which parent determines the blood type of the child?
The answer to this question is a bit complex, but fascinating nonetheless!
Each parent contributes two factors to determine the blood type of their offspring.
The first factor is an antigen, which is passed down from both parents. An antigen is a substance that triggers an immune response when foreign cells are detected in our body.
Secondly, each parent will contribute either the A or B form of their gene to the child. This forms either AA (Type A), BB (Type B), AB (Type AB) or OO (Type O).
For example, if your partner has Type O and you have Type A blood, then your baby will be either Type A or Type O depending on which genes they inherited from each of you.
However, if both parents have Type A blood, then there is no way for them to pass on a Type O gene and therefore their baby will always be of blood type A.
So basically, your baby inherits two genes—one from each parent—that control their blood type; one gene expresses itself while the other “hides” in its recessive form.
Blood tests during pregnancy
That said, many expecting parents want to know their unborn baby’s blood type or gender in advance so they can prepare for any potential problems during delivery such as Rh incompatibility between mother and baby.
Thankfully nowadays prenatal blood tests can detect many things including your baby’s blood type even before birth!
These tests are typically done around 10-14 weeks into pregnancy and involve testing a sample of amniotic fluid taken from around the umbilical cord and placenta area via chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis test procedures.
In conclusion, although it may seem complex at first glance, the answer to ” Which parent determines the blood type of the child?” isn’t as difficult as it seems!
Each parent contributes two parts—an antigen and either an A or B gene—which come together to form the four different types of human blood we know today.
For expecting parents who want to find out in advance what their babies’ blood types are going to be like before they’re born, there are prenatal tests available that can tell you all that information without having to wait too long!
Knowing these facts can help ensure that both mother and child remain healthy throughout pregnancy and beyond.
