Chinese parents give birth to a blonde, blue-eyed 'mixed-race baby'? An ordinary couple in Yancheng, Jiangsu, have become the center of public attention because of their daughter's appearance. Born in 2022, their daughter’s blonde hair and blue eyes once led the family to suspect there had been a mix-up at the hospital.
According to Sing Tao Daily, the girl’s father admitted that when their daughter had just turned one, they once questioned whether there had been a switch at the hospital, because her bright golden curls, blue eyes, and pronounced facial features differed so drastically from other Chinese children that the family was shocked at first. However, after elders in the family recalled information about the previous generation’s genes, the mystery was finally solved.
After tracing back the family history, it turned out that although the past three generations were all of Chinese descent with black hair and dark eyes, the girl’s great-grandfather was of Slavic descent and a Russian. After paternity testing confirmed the biological relationship, the couple’s doubts were finally laid to rest, avoiding a potential marital crisis.
By chance, the family had mostly had boys in previous generations, including uncles and older relatives, and since lighter hair and eye colors are less commonly displayed in males, the Slavic genetic traits in the family had never emerged. It was not until this generation gave birth to a girl that the long-hidden “blonde hair, blue eyes” genes resurfaced.
This cross-generational genetic inheritance has attracted much attention. From a genetic perspective, blonde hair and light-colored eyes are usually recessive genetic traits. If the related genes in the family are suddenly expressed, the appearance of descendants may differ drastically from most family members. The girl's parents said that they now completely understand and cherish this 'little surprise from family heritage.' They added that the child is healthy and lively, and whether her looks resemble a foreign doll has become the most popular topic among friends and relatives when they meet.