There is the possibility of your child getting freckles from one parent or another. This doesn’t mean that your child will definitely have them if one parent has them. We cannot certainly know until the baby is born.
When some time has already passed, due to the bigger exposure to the sun, the baby can start getting freckles that he or she inherited from a mom or dad.
If one parent has freckles will the child have freckles, this is what many parents are asking. If one parent has freckles, there will be a fifty percent chance that the baby will inherit them. If both parents have freckles then chances are even higher that your baby can get it.
Freckles are caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation, like sun exposure. If one parent has freckles and another does not, then there is no guarantee that your baby will develop this skin condition if he or she gets exposed to the sun for too much time.
If neither parent has freckles then it is highly unlikely that the child will develop them. So, if both parents do not possess any traits for freckles, then the chances of having freckled children become very rare.
Do freckles run in the family?
Yes, freckles do tend to run in the family. Especially kids who have a lighter tan, or fair complexions in general, tend to have freckles.
As mentioned above, freckles can be inherited from parents, but it is also connected to sun exposure.
If a parent or a child who has freckles spends a lot of time in the sun during childhood, they’re more likely to end up with some sort of pigmentation issue later on in life.
If you are related and one of your parents/siblings have freckles, consider yourself lucky! Freckles are beautiful and add character – not everyone is honored with this skin feature.
Can freckles be hereditary?
The main factors of getting freckles are genetic and sun exposure. They are a primary cause of having this type of skin pigmentation.
This all depends on the child or the adult person, because some are more likely to get them than others. This hugely depends on the skin type the person is having and its genes.
If the person has the genetic predisposition to develop freckles, sun exposure will just make its appearance faster.
Freckles are small spots on the skin which are a result of extra pigment cells, called melanocytes that form at an accelerated pace. If one parent has freckles then there might be a chance that their child will have freckles as well.
If both parents don’t have any freckles then their children most likely won’t have any either.
Are freckles a dominant gene?
If one parent has freckles will the child have freckles? Most likely. There is a 50% chance that the baby will inherit it. Because the absence of freckles is recessive, while the presence of freckles is dominant.
According to science, skin pigmentation is due to a single gene.
However, the latest studies have shown that the presence of freckles depends on more than one gene.
According to another study which was published back in 1995, scientists discovered eight genes related to skin pigmentation.
Because of this discovery, numerous hypotheses were made about possible hereditary transmission. If one parent has freckles and the other does not, penetrance can range from 0% to 100%.
Why am I the only one in my family with freckles?
If neither of the parents has freckles and yet the child has, that is probably because of its ancestors and another genetic background of freckles which is very complex.
The reason a person has freckles is the result of genes and the environment as well.
For instance, studies have shown that identical twins are likely to have the same number of freckles, in comparison with non-identical twins.
At what age does a child get freckles?
If one parent has freckles will the child have freckles? There is a chance, but the parents can’t know that right after the baby is born.
Freckles and moles, usually appear when the child is between second and fourth year.
As the child gets older, and they are starting to walk on their own while exploring the environment, they will do more outdoor activities. This is directly related to sun exposure.
Freckles are usually seen on children’s cheeks and noses. If you see your kid is slowly developing freckles, just remind them to apply sunscreen before going outside.
Freckles are not something to be afraid of and they most certainly do not cause any diseases. However, if you are scared of getting any skin disorders or anything else, it is important to talk with your child’s dermatologist first.
If he or she thinks it is safe to wait a bit longer for them to age some years, you can do so while applying sunscreen regularly on your kids’ faces at all times. You should always listen to advise your pediatrician gives to you, and follow the given instruction.
Summary
When becoming a parent there are a lot of things and concerns in one’s mind related to child health as well as looks. Freckles and moles occupy a special category. So, the question arises, if one parent has freckles will the child have freckles?
There is no way that you will be 100% sure if your child will have freckles or not, but you can assume. So, if one parent has freckles, there is a 50% chance that the child will inherit them. On the other hand, there is also a 50% chance that a child will not have any freckles at all.
Inheriting freckles depends on many things besides one parent having freckles. This is very complex and it certainly depends on more than one gene as stated up until recently. A child’s type of skin and exposure to sunlight have major roles as well.
