Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Mongolian spots

Whenever I look at my two little kiddos bums (perverted mom), I can't help but wonder why Asian babies tend to have Mongolian spots. I've found my answers in these and draw the conclusion from there.

What is it?
Mongolian spots are nothing more than dense collections of melanocytes, the skin cells which contain melanin (refer to red coloured wordings below), the normal pigment of the skin. When the melanocytes are close to the surface, they look deep brown. The deeper they are in the skin, the more bluish they look. Either way, they are not related to bruises or any other medical condition. They do not predispose to skin cancer or any other problem.

Who gets it?
At least one Mongolian spot is present on the great majority of babies of Native American, African, Asian, or Hispanic descent. Caucasian babies occasionally have this condition.

Despite the name, Mongolian spots have no known anthropologic significance, except for being more common in darker-skinned infants.

What are the symptoms?
These flat birthmarks can be deep brown, slate gray, or blue-black in color. They do sometimes look like bruises. The edges are often, but not always, indistinct. They are most common on the lower back and buttocks, but are often found on the legs, back, sides, and shoulders. They vary from the size of a pinhead to six inches or more across. A child may have one or several.

How long does it last?
Mongolian spots are present at birth, and most of them fade (at least somewhat) by age two. Most have completely disappeared by age five. If Mongolian spots remain at puberty, they are likely to be permanent. Fewer than five percent of children with Mongolian spots still have any by the time they reach adulthood. Those who do tend to be the ones with multiple, widespread spots, or with spots in unusual locations.

The mention of dense collection of melanin - as we all know melanin is a substance that gives the skin and hair its natural color. It also gives color to the iris of the eye, feathers, and scales. In humans, those with darker skin have higher amounts of melanin = mongolian spots!
By contrast, those with less pigment have lighter or more fair skin coloring.

Generally, those with darker skin tones and more melanin are able to tolerate exposure to the sun for hours without getting sunburn. By contrast, a person with lighter skin may get sunburn after spending only minutes in the midday sun.

So it means mongolian spots on your butts (where no one can see) is better than getting your face and skin burnt (where everyone can see).

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