Baby skin colour; how is he darker?

[toohardtothinkofaname]

No idea where to post this;

My DS was born with a 'tan' skin colour than myself & DP who are quite pale. He also has a small, pale Mongolian blue spot. Apparently when I was born I was tan too but definitely not now! I have very dark hair & eyes though. My df isn't super dark but tans very easily & has an almost red skin colour.

I've asked (& hoped) if we have any Eastern European or Italian ancestory but df says no. Is there other ways that makes this darker skin colour happen & spot or could it be so far back the links are unknown?

How old is he? My youngest was very dark at birth (mixed race) but now she is the palest of them all (and blue eyes!)

Mongolian Blue Spot is most common in babies with Asian heritage, but it's not exclusive to them. Anyone with dark pigment present in their skin can get it.

It's entirely possible that either you or your partner have some darker skinned heritage way back that neither or you are aware of and it is resurfacing now in your son. it's a bit like eye colour - a total lotttery. I know families where one parent in white and one is mixed race and one child is as dark as the dad and the other is a white as the mum.

It's not remotely unusual for a baby to have a slightly different skin tone to its parents. Why are you worrying about it, are people calling your son's parentage into question?

Also is there any welsh in your side of the family, as they can be quite tanned as well.
But as pp said my kids are one as brown as me (I'm mixed race) and one whiter than her white dad.

how old is he? newborn jaundice can give a tanned appearance and if he is really brand new so can the extra blood cells from the placenta.
genetics are amazing how about on the baby daddy side?

the baby daddy?

This isn't a paternity test on Jerry Springer.

Sadmother/outtopasture; he's almost 2m so still early days. Not sure when I lost my baby colouring but I'm hoping he keeps it because it does look lovely, and my pastiness does not! Haha.

Icompletely; not that I know of! I bloody hope they haven't, but I do feel a bit self conscious when we take him swimming as that's when it's more noticeable haha. It's not brown skin you see, just like a reddy tan colour. Think he looks darker because he has loads of brown hair & big dark eyes (like me) and on a tiny baby it accentuates it. Ds does have dp's dimples, nose & exact head shape so those who it matters to aren't questioning anything (of which there's nothing to question)

Winchester; mostly Scottish as far as I know. I'm sure my mum said her great grandad was Jewish. Not sure if that means he wasn't from this country. No clue about his dad's side.

By the way, I'm not asking because I'm worrying. Echoing outtopastures sentiment that genetics are amazing & I'm really interested about where this has come from.

My parents and siblings are really pale. I'm olive toned.

We've always put it down to having Italian heritage four generations back.

My best friend is German and everyone always assumes she Italian or Greek or Arab because her skin is so olive, but neither of her parents have it and neither do her children. She has no idea where it's from!

By the way I think the MBS usually fades away to virtually nothing, in case you are worried about that. Congrtulations on your new little boy.

winchester - I'm sure the Welsh tan you refer to is actually rust!

My Dad has Jewish heritage and is very dark with dark hair and tanned skin, although he does have light blue eyes. My Mum also has a very warm skin tone with dark green eyes. Somehow though me and my sister are milk bottle white... Like ginger white (although both have dark blonde hair). My DD is also so pale as to be virtually see through. None of my parents lovely skin tone has come out in any of us!

I was born quite dark skinned myself but over time have lightened to my mum's skin tone & she's a red head so now I'm at the other end of the shade scale! So curious to know how this little one will turn out, hope he keeps it.

I think it's all fascinating. Especially inter-racial (I hope that's the right term) couples who have one black & one white twin!