diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index fc3ebea7f..86d637c81 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 2007-12-15 Gary Burton <gary.burton@zen.co.uk>
-	* src/Editors/_EditFamily.py: emit family-update signal #1416
+	* src/DisplayTabs/_ChildModel.py:
+	* src/Editors/_EditFamily.py: add fallback for birth date (feature #1448)
+
+2007-12-15 Gary Burton <gary.burton@zen.co.uk>
+	* src/Editors/_EditFamily.py: emit family-update signal (bug #1416)
 
 2007-12-15  Douglas S. Blank  <dblank@cs.brynmawr.edu>
 	* src/plugins/Calendar.py: Added relationships (feature #1086)
diff --git a/src/DisplayTabs/_ChildModel.py b/src/DisplayTabs/_ChildModel.py
index 13b46402b..2e9eee093 100644
--- a/src/DisplayTabs/_ChildModel.py
+++ b/src/DisplayTabs/_ChildModel.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 import gtk
+import cgi
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
@@ -35,6 +36,8 @@ import gtk
 import DateHandler
 from BasicUtils import name_displayer
 import Utils
+from ReportBase import ReportUtils
+import gen.lib
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
@@ -75,10 +78,12 @@ class ChildModel(gtk.ListStore):
         return self.family.get_child_ref_list()
 
     def column_birth_day(self, data):
-        event_ref = data.get_birth_ref()
-        if event_ref and event_ref.ref:
-            event = self.db.get_event_from_handle(event_ref.ref)
-            return DateHandler.get_date(event)
+        birth = ReportUtils.get_birth_or_fallback(self.db, data)
+        if birth:
+            if birth.get_type() == gen.lib.EventType.BIRTH:
+                return DateHandler.get_date(birth)
+            else:
+                return '<i>%s</i>' % cgi.escape(DateHandler.get_date(birth))
         else:
             return u""
 
diff --git a/src/Editors/_EditFamily.py b/src/Editors/_EditFamily.py
index 8bb4f7274..82c9f2940 100644
--- a/src/Editors/_EditFamily.py
+++ b/src/Editors/_EditFamily.py
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ class ChildEmbedList(EmbeddedList):
                 continue
             name = self._column_names[pair[1]][0]
             render = gtk.CellRendererText()
-            column = gtk.TreeViewColumn(name, render, text=pair[1])
+            column = gtk.TreeViewColumn(name, render, markup=pair[1])
             column.set_min_width(50)
 
             column.set_resizable(True)