All humans initially develop
epicanthic folds in the womb. Some children lose them by birth, but epicanthic folds may also be seen in young children of any ethnicity before the bridge of the nose begins to elevate. They may persist where birth is pre-term, and sometimes also where the mother is alcoholic.
If the epicanthic fold appears on people who traditionally do not display the characteristic, it can be a sign of a number of disorders coupled with other symptoms like mental retardation, weak muscles, etc. Epicanthic fold in people who do not traditionally display the characteristic can be a result of low genetic diversity characteristics caused by
inbreeding depression,
pedigree collapse,
cultural isolation,
endogamy, etc. or medical conditions like
Down syndrome,
Cri du chat syndrome and
Williams syndrome, three chromosomal abnormalities that are associated with severe intellectual disability. Another condition in which this is seen is
Triple-X syndrome, a chromosomal abnormality that does not necessarily impair intelligence. Epicanthic folds can also be caused by
fetal alcohol syndrome,
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and/or
pre-term birth.
Some African ethnic groups also have epicanthic folds; these include the
Khoisans (
Capoids) in Africa and certain groups from southern Sudan such as the
Dinka and the
Nuer.
Epicanthic folds are also found in a minority of Europeans having no known Asian background, especially in eastern Europe and across northern Europe in areas such as
Scandinavia.
Bookmarks