What does a blue birthmark mean?

Congenital dermal melanocytosis are a type of birthmark, with flat blue or blue/grey spots. They may resemble bruises but they are not bruises, they are birthmarks. There are no medical complications associated with congenital dermal melanocytosis.

Is a blue birthmark rare?

Some of these groups include the children of Polynesian, Indian, and African descent. On average, only about 10% of Caucasian infants have Mongolian blue spots. Blue spots are found in about 50% of Latinos, and 90% to 100% of Asian and African populations.

Who gets Mongolian blue spot?

Mongolian spots (MS) are congenital birthmarks seen most commonly over the lumbosacral area. They are bluish-green to black in color and oval to irregular in shape. They are most commonly found in individuals of African or Asian ethnic background.

What is the Mongolian blue spot superstition?

Some cultures believe that the blue spot is left from the divine place where the baby was prodded or slapped by a spirit to leave “pre-life” and be born, while others say it's a sign of royalty. Mongolians, from ancient times, believed that they were patronized by heavenly powers.

What is a royal birthmark?

9 According to Bloch, belief in the royal birthmark—a mysterious mark on sovereigns' bodies indicating their royal status—was "one of the most lively superstitions in the Middle Ages," which gives "a deep insight into the popular mind."10 It provides evidence of the concept of the sacred and miraculous nature of ...

Why do we have Birthmarks? | Science Curiosity | Letstute

What are the 4 types of birthmarks?

Is Mongolian blue spot hereditary?

A detailed family history revealed most of the family members manifested with extensive bluish discoloration of the body soon after birth which faded in the first few years of life and completely disappeared by puberty. Thus it was diagnosed to be extensive Mongolian spots with an autosomal dominant inheritance.

Why is it called a Mongolian birthmark?

In 1883, it was described and named after Mongolians by Erwin Bälz, a German anthropologist based in Japan, who erroneously believed it to be most prevalent among his Mongolian patients. It normally disappears three to five years after birth and almost always by puberty.

Are Mongolian spots rare?

Mongolian spots are gray-blue to brown macules or patches located in the lumbosacral/gluteal region. They affect a majority of Asians, African Americans, and American Indians but are rare in Caucasians. The lesions are present at birth but often spontaneously regress within a few years.

What is Mongolian spot beliefs?

The Mongolian spot is referred to in Japanese asshirigaaoi, meaning to have a blue bottom, and is believed to be the consequence of coitus performed during pregnancy, or a mark made by the gods presiding over births.

Do blue babies survive?

While cyanosis in the newborn can be an alarming symptom, the majority of these children are able to survive in their early life. Further, many of them are subjected to stressful, staged procedures to repair or palliate their underlying issue – only underscoring the adaptive capabilities of our smallest patients.

What is the most common birthmark?

Salmon patches (also called stork bites, angel kisses, or macular stains) are the most common type of birthmark.

Are birthmarks healthy?

Birthmarks are common and usually harmless. But some may require treatment for cosmetic reasons or because of rapid growth. Still others may be a sign of an underlying disease.

What color are most birthmarks?

Pigmented birthmarks are skin markings that are present at birth. Their color ranges from brown or black to bluish or blue-gray.

Do Mongolian marks go away?

Often located around the lower back or spine area (although, they can appear on other areas of the body), they are greenish, blue, brown, gray, or black in color and can be easily mistaken for bruises. Most spots are not harmful, won't cause symptoms, and fade away without treatment by age 6.

Do all mixed babies have Mongolian spots?

A child may have one or several. At least one Mongolian spot is present on over 90% of Native Americans and people of African descent, over 80% of Asians, over 70% of Hispanics, and just under 10% of fair-skinned infants (Clinical Pediatric Dermatology, 1993).

Can white babies have Mongolian blue spots?

How common are they? According to a 2013 review , slate gray nevi affect about 10% of white babies, 50% of Hispanic babies, and 90–100% of Black and Asian babies.

What does a Mongolian baby look like?

Blue-gray spots, commonly referred to as congenital dermal melanocytosis (and formerly called “Mongolian spots”), are large flat lesions that are usually found on the lower back or buttocks of infants at birth. They can occasionally be found on the legs or shoulders of infants, but this is less common.

What are blue birthmarks called?

Dermal melanocytosis is the name of a kind of birthmark that is flat, blue, or blue-gray. They appear at birth or in the first few weeks of life. Dermal melanocytosis was formerly called Mongolian blue spots.

What birthmark says about you?

In case it is a dark mark, it is said to be there if your past life is not that old and that your trauma has not been processed. If you have a healed burn mark which is white in color then it is a mark reminding you that you were burnt in your past life. If it is light, it means you are healing karmically.

What do birthmarks mean medically?

Birthmarks are areas of discolored and/or raised skin that are apparent at birth or within a few weeks of birth. Birthmarks are made up of malformed pigment cells or blood vessels. Although the cause of birthmarks is not known, most of them are benign (noncancerous) and do not require treatment.

How rare is it to be born with a birthmark?

Birthmarks are common. Research shows that about 10% of babies are born with a type of birthmark known as a hemangioma (he-man-gio-ma). Fortunately, most hemangiomas go away on their own by the time a child is 10 years old. Many disappear sooner.