Epicanthic fold Epicanthic fold The epicanthic fold is the skin fold of the upper eyelid, covering the inner corner (medial canthus) of the eye. Various factors influence whether epicanthic folds form, including ancestry, age, and certain medical conditions. The highest frequency of occurrence of epicanthic folds are found in: East Asians, Southeast Asians, Central Asians, North Asians, some South Asians, Polynesians, Micronesians, Indigenous Americans (as well as Mestizos), the Khoisan, Malagasy. In some of these populations the trait is almost universal. Epicanthic folds occur, but at considerably lower frequency, in: Europeans (e.g., Scandinavians, English, Irish, Hungarians, Russians, Poles, Lithuanians, Finns, Estonians and
Epicanthic fold be visible in the development stages of young children of any race, especially before the nose bridge fully develops. The epicanthic fold is sometimes found as a congenital abnormality. Medical conditions that cause the nasal bridge not to mature and project are associated with epicanthic folds. About 60% of individuals with Down syndrome (also known as trisomy 21) have prominent epicanthic folds. In 1862, John Langdon Down classified what is now called Down syndrome. He used the term "mongoloid" for the condition. This was derived from then-prevailing ethnic theory and from his perception that children with Down syndrome shared physical