Mongolian spot Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention

Mongolian spots are blue-gray spots that often appear on babies’ skin.

Mongolian Spot Understanding

Mongolian spots are blue-gray spots that often appear on babies’ skin. Mongolian spots are one of the birthmarks caused by pigment or skin coloring. The medical term for pigmented birthmarks is congenital dermal melanocytosis.

Mongolian spots usually appear on the buttocks or lower back. Apart from that, these spots can also appear in other areas of the body such as the hands or feet.

Mongolian spots are usually present at birth or appear in the first week of a baby’s life. Mongolian spots will disappear with age around 4 or 5 years. However, there are cases where Mongolian spots persist into adulthood and become birthmarks.

This condition does not require special treatment because Mongolian spots are not cancerous spots that can be dangerous. However, in a small number of cases, Mongolian spots are associated with rare metabolic diseases. Some of them are Hurler’s disease, Hunter syndrome, Niemann-Pick disease, mucolipidosis and mannosidosis. This metabolic disease usually occurs in babies who have large Mongolian spots that spread over the body beyond the buttocks and lower back.

Mongolian Spot Reason

Mongolian spots occur due to pigment trapped in the inner skin when the fetus is developing in the womb. When the pigment does not reach the surface of the skin it causes a gray, green, blue or black color. However, the cause of the pigment being stuck is still unknown.

Some groups of people are more at risk of developing Mongolian spots – such as people with darker skin namely Asians, Hispanics, Americans, Africans and East Indians. Mongolian spots also occur equally in both boys and girls. Mongolian spots often appear on the buttocks and lower back.

Mongolian Spot Symptoms

Mongolian spots look like bruises. However, the bruise will cause pain. Likewise, if the spotting is the result of an injury.

Mongolian spots are flat patches that are gray, green, blue or black. Typical Mongolian spots are on the buttocks or lower back. Mongolian spots can also occur on other areas of the body, such as the hands and feet. Mongolian spot does not give other symptoms such as pain.

Mongolian Spot Diagnosis

Doctors can determine the diagnosis of Mongolian spots from the history and physical examination. Mongolian spot occurs from birth or as early as one week of age.

Mongolian spots are flat and characteristically colored. The doctor should note the presence of Mongolian spots from birth or at one week of age to distinguish them from birthmarks or bruises resulting from injury or abuse. Mongolian spots must also be monitored when carrying out routine checks on infants so that they can be monitored when they disappear as the child gets older.

Treatment

There is no need for special treatment of Mongolian spots. Mongolian spots are basically not painful or cause skin problems.

Mongolian spots are also usually found on the buttocks or lower back, so they do not cause an aesthetic problem. These spots usually disappear with age.

In cases of Mongolian spots that persist into adulthood, there are ways to get rid of them. For that can be done with laser therapy. Laser therapy can have darker skin side effects. Therapy with whitening creams as combination of laser therapy can help give good results.

Prevention

Mongolian spots cannot be prevented because until now the reason why not all babies are affected is unknown.