Apart from inheriting physical attributes, children gain a multitude of things from their fathers. Father’s genes are more dominant in comparison to the mother’s genes, so here is what children inherit from their fathers.

1. Cardiovascular problems

Some men carry a gene that increases the risk of a heart attack in their male children. According to Jennifer Stagg, who is a naturopathic doctor, those men who carry the haplogroup IY chromosome have a 50% higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease which will be passed onto their male offspring.

2. Hair

If the father has curly hair and the mother naturally straight hair, the child will have curly hair as well. The gene associated with curly hair is more dominant than the straight hair gene. The same applies if the father is bald or if he has thick hair.

3. Height

The genes of both partners determine the child’s height. However, some gene variants may change the genetic pattern. For example, a rare variant in the gene sequence can make the father’s genes more dominant when it comes to height. Therefore, fathers are more likely to pass down the same height to their children.

4. Left or right-handedness

It is believed that the gene which determines left or right-handedness is also passed down to children from their fathers.

5. Mental health issues

Older men who are diagnosed with ADHD or schizophrenia are more likely to have children with the same mental health problems. This is due to the alterations in their DNA that appear as they age. Namely, the sperm of older men contains mutated DNA which can lead to such possibility.

Women’s DNA also changes as they age but the difference is that women have a limited number of eggs that are with them from birth, whereas men’s sperm is being produced throughout their lives.

However, older women have a higher chance of giving birth to children with genetic diseases, including autism.

6. Dental complaints

All dental issues are genetically inherited, except the shape of the mouth and teeth. So, if the father has dental problems, his children will suffer from the same issues as well. Women may also pass down such health issues to their children but men’s genes are more dominant.

7. Eye color

Both parents play roles in determining the eye color of their child. However, some factors indicate that children will inherit the eye color from the father. The gene associated with dark eyes is dominant while the gene for light eyes is recessive and it requires influence from both families. So, if the father has brown eyes, the children will have the same eye color as well.

8. Infertility

Men who are infertile and who took part in the process of an IVF may have infertile sons too. According to some studies, men who were conceived through in vitro fertilization had lower sperm count in comparison to those conceived naturally. Although these findings are not entirely conclusive, they imply that a father’s fertility issues can be passed down to his children too.

9. Gender

The father’s genes determine the gender of the baby. Men possess one X chromosome and one Y chromosome whereas women have two X chromosomes. Men’s sperm has either an X or a Y chromosome at a time, which means that the dominant sperm determines the gender of the baby. Some scientists even believe that the family tree of the man can also help in gathering information on whether the baby will be a girl or a boy.