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ARTICLE:
Laura J. Williams, Sonja A. Rasmussen, Alina Flores, Russell S. Kirby, and Larry D. Edmonds
Decline in the Prevalence of Spina Bifida and Anencephaly by Race/Ethnicity: 1995–2002
Pediatrics 2005; 116: 580-586 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]
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[Read eLetters] Reason for lower rates of NTDs in "black" populations
Katherine A. Dettwyler   (17 January 2008)

Reason for lower rates of NTDs in "black" populations 17 January 2008
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Katherine A. Dettwyler,
Anthropology Professor
University of Delaware

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Re: Reason for lower rates of NTDs in "black" populations

kathyd{at}udel.edu Katherine A. Dettwyler

The authors don't cite the research linking heavily-pigmented skin to the protection of circulating folate from UVB radiation-induced photolysis. See Jablonski, Nina G., and George Chaplin, "The evolution of human skin coloration." Journal of Human Evolution, 2000, 39:57-106. Genes for dark skin arose in human evolution whenever high levels of UVB radiation were present, to protect the circulating folate. This is the main reason why people with darker skin have lower rates of NTDs. Skin color is not a useful indicator of "race" however, as biological races do not exist.

Conflict of Interest:

None declared