Evaluation and care for birthmarks and other patches of pigmented skin.
Mongolian spots are flat, blue-gray patches of skin usually present at birth, most commonly found on the lower back or buttocks. They result from pigment cells that didn't fully migrate to the skin's surface during fetal development, and they typically fade on their own during early childhood.
Melanocytes (pigment cells) become trapped deeper in the skin during fetal development instead of migrating to the surface layer.
These birthmarks cannot be prevented and are not related to anything during pregnancy.
No treatment is needed in the vast majority of cases, since most fade by early childhood.
Myth: Mongolian spots are bruises from a difficult birth. Fact: They're a harmless pigment variation, unrelated to trauma, and are sometimes mistaken for bruising by those unfamiliar with them.
If a spot doesn't fade by school age, or if there's ever doubt about whether a mark is a birthmark versus a bruise.