In Mali, when babies are born, they are quite a bit lighter in skin color
than older children and adults.  Their "color" gradually deepens and darkens
over the first 4 months of life.  People often make reference to the age of
a baby by whether or not it has "gotten its color".  Or they might say
something like "She got sick for the first time well after she'd gotten her
color" -- meaning about 6 months.  One woman in my dissertation research
sample, noticing my surprise at the pale color of her newborn baby, joked
that my husband was the father!!

I wonder if this is perhaps an adaptation so that young infants are able to
absorb plenty of sunlight to make sufficient Vitamin D during the early
months of life.  I do not know if this color change is typical of all
populations that have dark skin as adults -- perhaps other members of
LactNet could comment?  For example, is this true of Australian Aborigine
babies?  South Indian babies?  South African babies?

Kathy Dettwyler

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