Nigerian woman gives birth to completely white baby

When the midwife presented Catherine Howarth with her new baby, she was convinced she’d been given the wrong child. The little boy was completely white – whereas new mum Catherine has the dark black skin of her Nigerian heritage.
For even though baby Jonah has a white father, doctors say the chances of him being white too were an incredible one in a million. And it wasn’t only the “miracle” baby’s mum who was stunned.
“The midwife looked at me and looked back down at Jonah and then at me again and couldn’t believe it,” said Catherine, 32.

“The doctors confirmed it was extremely rare.”

Her husband Richard, 34, a medical recruitment consultant, was equally astonished. He had expected his son, who was born at Milton Keynes Hospital on June 1, to have darker skin.



Catherine and Richard, from Milton Keynes, plan to have more children but have been told the chances of them also being born white are highly unlikely.

Jonah’s remarkable colour follows the birth in 2010 of Nmachi Ihegboro, who is white despite having two black parents. Nine years ago, mixed-race couple Kylie Hodgson, 27, and Remi Horder, 25, from Nottingham, became parents to twin daughters – one white and one black.

Yesterday, delighted Catherine said: “Despite the initial shock, Richard and I couldn’t be happier. Jonah is a beautiful, happy and smiling son, and I adore him.” And Richard said: “The colour of his skin is of no concern – Jonah being a healthy and happy baby is what matters.”