Question

Two mothers give birth to sons at the same time at a busy urban hospital. The son of mother 1 is afflicted with hephilia, a disease caused by an X-linked recessive allele. Neither parent has the disease. Mother 2 has a normal son, despite the fact that the father has hemophilia. Several years later, couple 1 sues the hospital, claiming that these two newborns were swapped in the nursery following their birth. As a genetic counselor, you are called to testify. What information can you provide the jury concerning the allegation?

Answer 1

X linked traits are typically passed from the mothers to their affected son if mothers are carrier, despite the father of hemophiliac condition there is no base as X linked characters does not pass from father to son, that is the case in their son being normal. So the Mother 1 has no valid point in her claim.

As it is mentioned that neither mother 1 nor father 1 has the disease (but chances are mother can be carrier)

Mother 1: XXª Father 1: XY

XªY

In couple 2, father has hemophilia, due to father gives Y not X this doesnt matter.

Mother 2: XX Father 2: XªY

Son 2: XY