Mum stunned as twins are born with dramatically different skin tones

Parents of twins will often resort to sticking names on jumpers to tell their babies apart – but that won’t be necessary in the case of Chantelle Broughton and her new arrivals.

Chantelle, 29, was stunned when her twin babies arrived with dramatically different skin tones in April.

Son Ayon was born with green eyes and paler skin, while daughter Azirah has brown eyes and a much darker complexion.

The twins have such different colouring that Chantelle says she often gets asked: ‘are they both yours?’.

Such births are so rare, genetics experts have previously estimated them at one in a million.

Chantelle credits the twins’ unusual differences to her and her partner’s mixed race identities – Chantelle is mixed race due to having a Nigerian granddad on her mum’s side, while the twins’ dad Ashton, also 29, is half Jamaican and half Scottish.

Chantelle, an auxiliary nurse from Nottingham, said: ‘I’m so glad they came out the way they are – our own unique little family.

‘Azirah was slightly darker at birth but you couldn’t really tell. Now as weeks have gone on she has gotten to the point where she’s darker than her dad.

‘Every few weeks friends and family still say they cant believe it.’

The twins also have their own distinct personalities already, says the mum.

‘Azirah is really laid back and chilled, whereas Ayon was wants a lot more attention,’ Chantelle shares.

‘He always wants to be rocked and is constantly babbling along. Azirah doesn’t do that very often.

‘But I have noticed they are really staring at each other now and smiling more.

‘I think they will stay like this. I think their hair will be different too.

‘Azirah will have thick and curly hair and Ayon’s will be completely different. You can already feel the difference in texture.’

Chantelle says the twins attract plenty of attention when they go out.

‘When you’ve got a twin pushchair people seem to notice you more anyway,’ she says.

‘I think people are gonna think I’ve had two different kids with two different dads.

‘They do a double take and comment on how unusual it is.

‘People just stop and say “oh my god”, they just look totally different. I’ve had people ask “are they both yours?”

‘A lot of elderly ladies stop me and tell me how beautiful it is.

‘A lot of the time people don’t want to mention it but when we tell them they say it’s crazy as you don’t see it very often.

‘I wouldn’t have it any other way though, it’s certainly unique.’

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