Black Parents, Fair-Skinned Baby: When Genetics Surprises

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Extract from the article: Ayélé, 31, a vegetable vendor at the market, gave birth to her first child. While the young woman was prepared to face the challenges of motherhood, she did not expect all the comments about her baby's skin color. Ayélé and her husband are indeed...

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Ayélé, 31, a vegetable vendor at the market, gave birth to her first child. While the young woman was prepared to face the challenges of motherhood, she did not expect all the comments about her baby's skin color. Ayélé and her husband are indeed black. To the extent that many wonder if the child is really hers. A situation that annoys and troubles the young lady. What could explain this phenomenon?

Ayélé recounts: "From birth, Éric, my baby, was judged based on his skin color. At the hospital, a woman asked me, 'Is this your baby?'. I expected her to compliment me. But she repeated, 'Is this really your baby?'. Her tone was surprised, slightly shocked. It really shocked me. He has a very fair complexion. Look at his hair, it's so smooth, she continued. And that's when it all started: strangers felt free to ask me if I was Eric's mother or to comment on the color of his skin. It's true my husband was happy but surprised. At one point, my husband wondered if the child was really his." The young woman met other mothers who had faced this situation, seeking support and understanding. But unfortunately!

How can such a phenomenon occur?

Bryan Sykes, Director of Human Genetics at the University of Oxford, one of the researchers who has studied the phenomenon, does not provide much explanation: "the rules of genetics are complex, and we still do not understand what happens in many cases. The probability of black parents having a very fair-skinned child may be the result of a genetic mutation that the parents carry. That is, the mutation occurred in the reproductive cells of one of the two parents. And this mutation would be dominant," he told the "Sun" newspaper.

François Cuzin, Professor of Genetics at the Academy of Sciences, also adds in his words: "it is likely that a genetic mutation is the cause of the phenomenon. Either it already existed but was hidden. In this case, both parents must carry it for it to appear. Or this mutation occurred in the reproductive cells of one of the parents and turned out to be 'dominant.' Many things are possible when there are 23 million genes in humans. Humans are not like our laboratory mice; it is extremely complex, constantly rearranging."

Skin color, a genetic inheritance

The physical and intellectual characteristics of the future baby are determined by many hereditary factors that explain the resemblances between parents and their children. At the base, there is a mixed cell that is a blend of the genetic heritage of the mother and father.

Several genes are involved in skin color. These will determine, in particular, the production and distribution of a brown pigment called melanin. The more melanin contained in the cells, the darker the skin color. A couple with black skin will have children with the same skin color. But in a mixed-race couple, the children will have variable mixing. By a lottery effect, some may have very dark skin and others lighter skin.

The great lottery of heredity

It all starts at the moment of fertilization. The sperm fuses with the egg to create an egg. The first cell of a new human being is born. It receives half of the father's inheritance and half of the mother's inheritance (23 chromosomes from one and 23 chromosomes from the other). This does not mean that the child will resemble half its father and half its mother; the laws of heredity are much more complex. Each gene is present in two copies (alleles). Not all alleles are expressed. Some dominate others and impose their characteristic in terms of hereditary traits. A multitude of combinations is possible.

The majority of genes come from the mother

Moreover, it should be noted that the mother contributes more genes to the baby than the father. Each cell contains thousands of genes called "mitochondria." And only the mother's mitochondria are transmitted to the baby. These structures play a crucial role in cell energy.

Abel OZIH