Mongolian Blue Spot - updated to add pic of Jo's spot 21/02/

[Josephine_Beth]

I thought this maybe a little bit of info, for those mother's expecting a mixed race baby, pref half cast.

My boy has this, he was born with it, covering the bottom half of his back, when I first saw it, I thought I'd bruised him so badly during birth but the doctor reassured me what this was.

It doesn't effect the baby, just looks like a massive bruising but in time it goes down. On my son, his actual birth mark is in the middle of the purple coloring. Gradually it has started to fade and our health visitor has said it may take another year or so for it to totally disappear and just be left with the birth mark. I'll try and take a photo of Joseph's blue spot this week, for you to see.

These birthmarks can sometimes be mistaken for bruises and raise questions about child abuse. Put your mind at rest and learn what the health professional should already know.

Mongolian blue spots also known as congenital dermal melanocytosis are flat bluish or bluish-gray skin markings that commonly appear on babies at birth or shortly thereafter.

They are particularly common among darker-skinned children, such as Asian, African and those from mixed-race parentage.

The spots appear as dark blue lesions with unclear borders and irregular shapes. They can normally be found at the base of the spine, on the buttocks and back but they have been known to appear on other areas of the body such as the face and shoulders.

Occasionally, Mongolian blue spots are mistaken for bruises and questions about child abuse arise. It is important to recognise that Mongolian blue spots are birthmarks, NOT bruises.

Most health workers are now aware of the markings and questions of child abuse should not arise. If they do then calmly inform the health worker that you believe the markings to be Mongolian blue spots but are happy for a doctor to verify that fact. Examination of the skin is sufficient to determine that the marked areas are Mongolian blue spots. No testing is necessary.

Mongolian spots are benign skin markings and are not associated with any conditions or illnesses. No treatment is necessary as they are not painful or dangerous. The bluish discoloration often fades in a few years and is almost always gone by adolescence.

This is my baby's Blue spot, it's half the size, maybe smaller, than what it was.

 

[KJ]

Asher has these aswell, on his bum and upper thighs. The midwife's pointed it out to us after his birth and said to put it in his notes. Apparently some GPs who are not clued up, can think it's bruising and accuse you of child abuse!

They are still there and we were told he could well have them for several years.

We nickname him 'blue bum!'.

K.xxx

 

[Josephine_Beth]

Ha lol, Joseph doesn't have it on his bum, only on his back and going around his right side. It's shrunk to half it's size now though.

I was changing Jojo's nappy the other week and my mum's friend saw the spot, she snuck off to have a word with my mum, as she was worried, me or my husband had done something. Mum had to reassure her, I laughed it off but later on, it did upset me a little bit.

Suppose we should be greatful the spots are not on their faces huh

p.s. where in Berks are you?

 

[KJ]

Hiya,

didn't notice your location! I'm in Reading too!

How long have you been here?

K.xx

 

[Josephine_Beth]

Too long, nah not really. Only moved back to Twyford area 2 weeks ago. Officially moved here in 1996, been gone for the past 3yrs. You?

 

[KJ]

I've been in Reading since 1998 when I came to uni here.

Met hubbie after and the rest is history!

Joseph's spot is very big and very blue. Asher's are more purply and more like several distinct spots, much like the illustration baby you posted in your first post.

Weird aren't they? I'd never heard of them before giving birth.

K.x

 

[Josephine_Beth]

I noticed there are a lot of Ghanaians in Reading now esp Tilehurst area.

Anyhow, Joseph had one on his hand and a little one on the top of his right thigh but the one on his back, well, it's half the size that it started off at.

I never heard of this until my mum told me, when I was pregnant.

Weird huh

I would if pure afro babies have them too?

 

[bellybump]

theyre quite common arent they. I know i have asian origin and although i'm predominantly white, there are the genes in my blood and Romi was thought of as maybe half cast when he was born, although his skin was so delicate they couldnt tell at first. Now he's like me though, shows some sign of colouring but is predominantly white. Hoping the twins are the same. My sister has it too but her daughter is a lot deeper than she and her husband are so they get funny looks it's so annoying. anyways, lol, back to the spots, Romi had a few blemishes on his back and they were sid to be these, but he had them un his inner upper thighs and also his neck and cheek too for a while, it's gone com[pletely now from his upper half and just has small pimple like marks on his lower back, hardly noticable at all.

i found this picture though of when he had just come home and was 'bruised' on his face slighlty. it can occur on faces, just not very often and tends to fade a lot earlier too

you can just see it outlining his cheek.

 

[Josephine_Beth]

Aww bless him!

 

[Penstraze]

Strangely dispite training in childcare I've never heard of these which I think is pretty bad, it must be so easy for people to jump to wrong conclusions and so upsetting for you guys if that happens it should definately be more well known!
I would recommend if any of you ladies send your children to a nursery that you tell them from the start about the marks because in my experience they're likely not to know what they are!

 

[rach]

a friend of mine who is white and has a jamaican partner had terrible trouble with a health visitor when she had her first child the HV kept asking lots of really personal questions and in the end refferred her child to social services who visited and explained about the marking to my friend and the HV was made to appologise for her lack of knowledge but this did cause a lot of unnecessary stress to my friend this was about 16/17 years ago i hope HVs are more aware now xxxxxx

 

[maria1976]

Ive seen this n a friend of mines child who is half Asian x

 

[Josephine_Beth]

I think I got lucky with the HV I go to, the head nurse (whatever they are called), was there the 1st day that I went and as soon as she saw the mark, she showed the other HV's that hadn't seen one before and explained to them what it was.

However, I went to a mothers & baby meet yesterday morning at the local church, just for a coffee and a chat and meet other mummies in the area. The place was VERY warm and a few mums took their babies clothes off and left them in their nappies. I did the same with Joseph, he loves laying naked (typical man!). But I soon realised that 2 mothers were whispering to eachother and gave me the most awful look, then one got up and walked out.

A few minutes later, another woman came in, she was like the group leader, who happens to run the local cresh. She asked me to come out in the hallway and to leave my son on his mat (didn't want to but I thought not to make a scene). She then followed with asking me out direct 'has your son had an accident or had you used a little too much force?'

I replied with a 'no', because, neither had ever happened. She implied though, with a big bruise like that, I must of got a little angry. The only time I got angry was with these questions!

I told her to get her facts right, marched in, dressed my son and left.

When I got home, I did have a little cry but my dad came to my defence. He is the deacon in that church and they approached him, to which he replied and formly informed them of what the mark is. Also told the leader that he recommends, she gets a top up on her child care courses and apoloogise to me.

1) never got the apology
2) Not going back there again!

 

[SarahH]

I have heard of it but never seen an actual picture of it. It does look like bruising, thankfully you have a HV that is up to scratch with these things.

 

[KJ]

How awful!

I'd have given her a right serving! It's so ignorant. The problem is, that even if you explained it in a situation like that, people probably wouldn't believe you.

I want to take Ash swimming soon and I'm worried now. Didn't think about people's reactions to the blue spot.

K.x

 

[rach]

peoples ignorance really annoys me why do people always assume the worst why dont they ask first xxxxxx

 

[Josephine_Beth]

How awful!

I'd have given her a right serving! It's so ignorant. The problem is, that even if you explained it in a situation like that, people probably wouldn't believe you.

I want to take Ash swimming soon and I'm worried now. Didn't think about people's reactions to the blue spot.

K.x

Take him, he'll be in the water often, so people may not see it, if they do, just ignore them. However, is there not a pool near you that does mother and toddler sessions?

I wanted to take Joseph swimming around 6 months, thankfully, a friend of mine has a pool in her gran's garden but someone said to me;

' why not take him to the pool by tilehurst, it's full of african people, no one would notice'

Sometimes I seriously think I am surrounded by some silly people

 

[kimmumof2]

i have never heard of this either and im glad you have shared as im training to be a social worker and its very useful to know things like this or the wrong conclusions could be drawn, you would think it was including in the health visitor training tho wouldnt you?

xxxxx