What is a Mongoloid spot?
These skin marks, also called Mongolian spots, appear when a child is born. “These are spots of varying sizes and gray in color, a little bluish or black, which are most often found in the baby’s lower back or on the buttocks”, explains Rémy Assathiany, pediatrician and member of the French Association of Ambulatory Pediatrics.
Similar to an ink stain or a bruise, “they are very common in babies of Asian or African descent. Mongoloid spots are due to the presence of melanocytes which secrete a high concentration of pigment cells that remain in the dermis instead of migrating into the epidermis where they will be destroyed. “
If this phenomenon remains difficult to explain scientifically, it is according to many anthropologists the witness of the migration of populations. “This genetic imprint is also found among the Amerindians and the Eskimos. In the so-called European population, that does not exist, except in the case of ascendants coming from Asia or the South, ”specifies the specialist.
How to get rid of Mongoloid spots, or Mongolian spots?
“This skin hyperpigmentation is not painful for the child, and affects both girls and boys”, underlines Dr Assathiany. In the vast majority of cases, these blue spots are benign and therefore present no danger to the infant.
Unlike the others birthmarks like wine stains or café au lait stains which are often permanent, these skin marks will fade over the years without requiring treatment, “until they disappear most often before the age of 6 and no longer. come back, ”explains the pediatrician.
In rare cases, they can persist into adulthood. Line, 32, left a gray-blue mark on her lower back. “My attending physician confirmed that it was indeed a Mongoloid stain and that it was harmless to my health. According to him, it is still possible that it will disappear over time. »To be continued.