Most Babies Favor Dad And That’s Good, Study Says

Babies may spend their first year in closer physical proximity to their moms, but odds are they’re a lot closer to their dads in physical appearance, scientists reported Wednesday.

Research in the journal Nature says 1-year-old babies who look like either parent almost always favor their fathers.

One reason, said Dr. Nicholas Christenfeld of the University of California-San Diego, is while moms have more of an instinct that “the baby is hers no matter what it looks like,” dads believe what they see.

Looking like dad is to the baby’s advantage because it makes the father invest more time and affection on the child, said Christenfeld, lead researcher.

Ken Manning, 32, of Alpharetta wholeheartedly endorsed the study’s conclusion, based on meticulous scrutiny of his 15-month-old son, Colton.

“He has my mouth, my nose, my hair color, eyes, skin color, everything except my ears,” he said. “I noticed as soon as the trauma of birth was over, and his head was no longer pointy. And everybody says he looks like me.”

Manning, who works for a pharmaceutical firm, also agreed that his son’s physical similarity helped in the bonding process. “I had a greater sense of attachment because of his appearance,” he said.