Will your baby have dimples? Many parents wonder if their child is born with dimples or not.
It depends on some certain factors. Let’s follow us to check certain features that affect your newborn babies’ dimples.
How Are Dimples Formed In A Baby?
Cheek dimples are caused by the zygomaticus major muscle in the cheek breaking in half.
It can be divided since the child was in the mother’s womb into a dominant knot above the back of the mouth and a lower knot below the mouth’s back.
The separation produces a hammock-like appearance in which skin can dangle between two joints.
When one smiles, the cheek muscle will tense, and dimples will become more visible due to the skin strain.
Many people mistakenly believe that the mechanism for forming dimples and chin cleft are the same.
However, a cleft chin is caused by a part of the jawbone that does not dissolve, rather than a contraction of a special muscle in the cheek called the zygomatic bone, which splits in half.
However, these cheek or chin dimples are not birth defects or harmful to human health. They’re just a genetic trait.
Will Your Baby Have Dimples?
Some babies were born with dimples due to the fat in their cheeks and gradually disappear when they get older and lose that fat.
Still, the appearance of dimples on babies’ cheeks depends on certain factors. Genetic characteristics and evolutions in the baby’s genetic makeup influence much of it.
In addition, other elements such as the skeletal changes of the baby during pregnancy will determine whether they will be born with dimples or not.
The Case of the Appearing Dimples
The Genetics
The anatomical characteristics of dimples are made up of two sets of genes from the mother and father. Variants from these genomes can be dominant or recessive.
How common are dimples in babies? If two dominant traits are combined, the probability of a dominant variant being produced is very high.
It means that the baby with dimples is normal if both parents have dimples.
Similarly, if one parent has dimples, their child will have a 25-50% chance of having dimples at birth.
Acromial Processes Of The Scapulae
In addition to the dimple in the cheeks, it also appears on the shoulders of some children.
This trait is not inherited but is caused by compression of the mother due to the distal contact of the bones and the uterine wall.
It forces compression of the shoulder blades of babies from the time they are in the womb. Their skin is pressed together and forms a dimple-like depression.
Similar to cheek dimples, shoulder dimples are not deformed features and do not affect health.
The Case of the Disappearing Dimples
The Genetics
Although dimples are inherited, there are instances where the inheritance is not continuous between generations.
Some couples don’t have dimples, but their children do. It is because grandparents or previous generations also owned this trait.
In addition, there are cases where the dimples disappear after a while.
It happens when the baby fat on the cheeks of children is too much, and when there’s a loss of fat in the babies (when getting older), the dimples on the cheeks also disappear.
Dimples can fade over time because the baby’s physical features are still at a developmental stage.
Thus, the zygomaticus major muscle can merge into one body and cause the separation to disappear.
Change In Inheritance Pattern
When combined, the dominant genes will create dimples on babies’ cheeks while in the womb. However, in some cases, the dimples may appear faint and vanish over time.
It is due to changes in actual genetic makeup cause recessive genes prevail at a certain genetic stage.
It triggers the division of the zygomaticus major muscle to be interrupted, and no more dimples are formed.
Benefits Of Dimples
Dimples Are Considered Adorable
Adorable! A child with dimples often attracts others because of their cute appearance. Two chubby cheeks with dimples as highlights will attract everyone.
In particular, when the children smile, the dimples will appear more clearly, along with the glittering eyes that will make adults want to kiss these lovely cheeks.
Studies also show that when seeing adorable children smiling with this dimple, parents’ anger will be mitigated.
Means To Communicate Better
Other studies prove that dimples can help babies communicate better with their parents. They will react more quickly to what their parents are telling them.
It is understandable as parents will spend more time with these adorable babies. Dimples draw the attention of others, which will help them know how the child is feeling.
Not only children, but dimples in adults also help them communicate more easily. Dimples are also a symbol of fidelity and lifelong attachment.
Moreover, when looking at the dimples, one will perceive the intensity of a person’s facial expression. Happy or very happy, annoyed or upset.
Associated With Good Luck
In both the East and the West, dimples symbolize good luck and are considered a miracle of life.
In the West, children or adult with this trait will be protected by Venus for life. They will be blessed with peace and good fortune for a lifetime.
According to anthropology in the East, dimples represent success, wealth, and luck in life.
It is also why many parents often press their children’s cheeks by hand when they are young.
However, if they punch too hard, the child veins will appear through the skin, which is not good for their children.
People possessing this trait are considered mild-mannered, meticulous in their work, and forward-thinking.
Therefore, these things help them often be noticed and appreciated in the process of working.
FAQs
How Soon Will I Know If My Baby Has Dimples?
Usually, babies’ dimples will show up by the time they’re 6 months old when they’re laughing.
Some children also show it when they are only 3 months old. Each child’s time to detect dimples can differ because this muscle cluster is deeply or shallow split.
The indentation is more obvious if these bundles of muscle are deeply divided. In addition, it is also affected by the fat layer.
The dimples will not be visible when babies have a thick layer of fat.
Besides, dimples in some cases do not appear in the newborn period but when they are older.
It is mainly due to the process of changing the facial muscles as well as the zygomaticus major muscle cluster.
How To Give A Baby Dimples?
The most common way is to use your hands to press on the child’s cheek area to gradually create a hollow. Many parents use items like the end part of a concealer brush to press on the cheeks.
However, in the newborn stage, you should only use your hands to avoid harming the baby’s skin. Be sure to trim your nails before pressing.
Doing it regularly or asking for help if you leave your baby with his grandparents would be best. Gradually, as your little one grows up, the dimples will become obvious.
The next way sounds awkward, but it works in practice. You can marry a mate with dimples.
The possibility that your child has dimples is very high. Genetics are strong and scientifically proven, so you can trust them.
At What Age Do Dimples Disappear?
Most cases of genetic inheritance do not go away. The dimples will persist from birth to old age without disappearing.
However, for some people, the dimples only remain until adulthood and fade away. It is caused by changes in facial muscles and bones or their daily habits.
Conclusion
Will your baby have dimples? Overall, it depends on the parents’ genes and external influences that affect the appearance of dimples in the baby.
We hope that you have some useful information from this article.
Thank you for taking the time to read our article.