Babies who look like their fathers tend to have a healthier start to life, study finds

MILWAUKEE -- Looking like Dad may improve the health of infants being raised by single mothers.

Researchers looked at more than 700 single moms and their babies. They found infants who looked like their father at birth were healthier when they were 1-year-old and fathers of those kids that looked like Dad spent more days per month with their babies, vs. other fathers.

These babies may be better off, according to researchers, because the fathers were more likely to spend time with kids who reminded them of when they were young, and that time spent together benefits the child both physically and psychologically.

Further research is needed as this study did not prove resembling Dad causes a baby to have better health, but the findings published in the "Journal of Health Economics" do suggest the need for policies to encourage fathers who don't live with their children to spend positive parenting time with them.