Family Slammed for Bullying Pregnant Woman Over 'Risk' Baby Has Red Hair

A heavily pregnant woman has vented her frustration at feeling "bullied" by family members over the fact her baby may have red hair.

Red might be the rarest human hair color in the world, but redheads nevertheless account for a significant proportion of the population. According to online geography resource website WorldAtlas, redheads represent around 2 to 6 percent of the U.S. population, or somewhere between 6 and 18 million people.

Despite this, a certain stigma persists among the redheaded population, not least when it comes to dating. A 2012 study saw a group of men and women put on different colored wigs in a dating setting to see who would be approached the most.

Redheads suffered the most rejection with just 13.8 percent of men wearing the red wigs being asked to dance, compared with 35 percent of the men donning black locks.

It wasn't just restricted to men either. The women wearing red wigs found they were approached by just 29 men, which was significantly lower than the number approaching the women wearing blonde (127 men) and brown (84 men) wigs.

The apparent prejudice surrounding this particular hair color has been brought to the fore on social media, after an expectant mom took to Mumsnet to detail the treatment she has suffered at the hands of several unnamed relatives commenting on the likelihood of her unborn child having red hair.

Writing under the handle 37anddone, the pregnant woman explained that recently she has been "getting a lot of comments" from "family members" asking about the "risk" of her baby having red hair.

"The suggestion seems to be this would be a negative outcome, and something I need to brace myself for," she wrote. "I personally think ridiculing my child's appearance before they have actually been born is a bit much."

The expectant mom said it was "depressing to hear children are still being bullied...because they have red hair" and said she has been "quite shocked" by some of the comments made to her.

Some on social media voiced skepticism at the claims.

"Does this really still happen?" a Mumsnet user posting as InChocolateWeTrust wrote. "I've got two mates with children with gorgeous red hair and they get nothing but compliments." Yesthatisdrizzle appeared to agree, writing: "Who is making these comments?"

However, it quickly became apparent that many others had experienced similar on account of their red hair.

LaMereDuChat said: "Recently took my redheaded child (10) to a major city. She confided in me on the way that she was afraid someone would attack her for having red hair, thanks to all the low level anti-redhead conditioning that's out there."

"Makes me furious," they added. "It's basically rooted in racism and should be treated as such." Another Mumsnet user, weleasewoderick23, agreed, writing: "I don't care what anyone says, there are some people who think it's okay to look down on ginger hair."

DisforDarkChocolate commented: "I was hideously bullied as a child because of my (beautiful) red hair...there are still a large number of people out there who think it's okay to abuse you because of it."

PunkyPinky, a fellow redhead, said: "I find any comments about it good or bad just really tiresome. I don't get why people feel the need to comment on it."

Elsewhere, some users, like Sellfridges, urged the pregnant woman to take action. "People are vile about red hair," they said. "If it's family I would put them right in their place. Anyone else and I'd tell them to F*** off."

Goldijobsandthe3bears concurred, commenting: "Definitely pull them up on their stupidity, this type of nonsense will never die out until it gets called out."

Changechangychange meanwhile, noted: "In the same way that men don't really understand the level of low level sexual harassment that women experience, non-redheads don't realize the constant drip-drip of anti-redhead nonsense."

Newsweek has contacted 37anddone for comment.