1 State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, N.Y.
The observation that many normal children develop yellow-colored skin and apparent hypercarotenemia during a period from approximately 6 to 18 months of age is an observation that is partially documented in the pediatric literature. There is some experimental evidence that this happens in most normal children. For example, Clausen and McCoord (J. Pediat., 13:635, 1938) noted: "The average level of plasma carotenoids rises from about 20 units per 100 ml at birth to about 100 units at 18 months, and falls to a constant level of about 90 units by the fifth year.