A adorable baby boy born on New Year's Day had a bizarre patch of silvery-white hair like a male fictional character Cruella De Vill.

The tot named James Castillo baffled doctors and nurses when he was born during the holiday in Bulacan province, the Philippines.

James was healthy and normal - except for the noticeable clump of white hair growing from his scalp. He was immediately associated with fictional characters Cruella and Rogue from X-Men, and mother Lilibeth said the white hair could be a good omen.

She said: 'Of all my children, only James was born with white hair. Some people say it's a good omen that will bring us luck and prosperity.'

Lilibeth added she plans to take James for a check-up in the future to ensure that he is healthy. She added that she has had no problems taking care of him so far as he is well-behaved and not very fussy.

Dermatologist Dr Grace Carole Beltran said the child has a condition called poliosis, in which some hair follicles lack melanin and melanocytes which give the hair its colour. The hypopigmented strands often form white patches at the front of the head called a 'Mallen streak.'

However, despite having a special medical condition, the doctor added that the baby appeared to be healthy.

She said: 'Poliosis may or may not be associated with illness. But in James's case, I see nothing wrong because he's still young.'