Are Mongolian blue spots an unknown thing?

[Mrsknackered]

Both of my DS's have Mongolian blue birthmarks. DS1 has a completely blue bottom and DS2 has a blue bum cheek and at the top of his spine, a circular blue spot the size of a 2p.
They are noted down in their red books.
At swimming last night, a lady was sitting near us in the shallow end and kept giving me a funny look. She then said, 'think you've been holding wee man a bit tightly!' So I was like 'sorry, what?' And she pointed at his back and said 'that's a nasty bruise for such a young bubba!' (DS2 is 5 months)
I got really embarrassed as I can be a bit wimpy and awkward and explained it's a birth mark but she just kinda 'mmm'ed me!
I felt awkward after and wondered if others had noticed it too and also thought he was bruised :(
Are they not a known about? Should I be making nurseries/schools aware of their birthmarks?

Second AIBU of the week! What's happening to me

Honestly, i would let school/nursery know and provide them with a copy of the relevant page in the red book.

I foster and nearly got into some deep shit through other people's ignorance until an Asian GP (whose son had them) put it in the red book (that was a lesson hard learned)

To the untrained eye they do look like bruises but a medical professional can tell straight away (don't ask me how) so I'd eliminate that risk immediately.

I've found a lot of people haven't heard of them. I had to tell the HV to note my DD's ones down in the red book. I was terrified someone would think she was bruised!

This is the first time I've heard of them but thank you for the information.

I certainly know what they are, though DS hasn't got one, but I've had a few 'Oh, how did that happen?' remarks about the site of DS's BCG. He was burn in London, so comparatively high TB risk and all babies, at least in our borough, got the BCG, but then we moved to a rural area where it's entirely unknown.

It's thought to be associated with East Asian ancestry so probably not well known here.

DTD1 was born with a blue bum (weirdly her identical twin sister wasn't!) and DH, who is English, was all like WTF for a few seconds until the midwife explained it to him. Whereas being SE Asian, I knew many people who were born with various blue markings and hadn't even registered that my newborn baby had a blue bum - although that could have been the haze of drugs.

My daughter had this when she was born, her entire bottom.and lower back was covered. You would be surprised how many health professionals are unaware of them, they commented on it every time they seen her. It finally faded when she was turning one and is completely clear now thankfully but for a first time mum I kept thinking that because they didn't know what it was that I had done something wrong to cause it.

Chavelita DS1 also has the BCG as born is SE London, and our neighbour was horrified by the scar! We moved 200 miles away so not a norm here.

DS1 nursery knows from when he was in nappies but I will now make a point to inform his new school too.

Sorry, OP, I just noticed the typo of 'burn' for 'born' in my post! It was because DS's preschool teacher said the BCG site 'looked as if he'd been caught by the tip of an iron!' I grew up with everyone, including my parents, having BCG scars, so it never occurred to me that it looked like an injury -- I was shocked.

I know what they are, but imagine that at first glance they can look a lot like bruises, so would be inclined to tell nurseries/schools etc.

Friend of mine has one - a tiny one, the size of a mole, on her upper arm. AFAIK nobody has ever mistaken it for an injury. She's had it worked into a tattoo now, looks brilliant.

I know what they are but I've never seen one to my knowledge and I wouldn't have thought of it

I had one that turned brown.
Ds 16 weeks has 2. One on his ankle and one all around his bum. They are blue and look like bruises. Thought it was common knowledge!

Every baby in my family has had them.

The midwife who attended the birth of my oldest nephew excelled herself by explaining 'there must be a touch of the tar brush in your family' with a nudge nudge wink wink tone. [hmmm]

When my dd was born (pfb) the first thing the paediatrician showed me at her first check up was her Mongolian blue spots and that they're normal in south East Asian babies. My ds had a blue bum and a few spots on his lower back and dd2 also had a blue bum and loads of blue bits. Midwives have always commented on them too. They fade after about 2 years..I've just checked dd(3) and her bum is clear of them now.

I wasn't aware that other people didn't know what they were. At nursery no ones ever said anything either. I assume people who deal with babies and children of all races are probably used to seeing them and are aware.

Mongolian blue spots are very well known and understood by GPs, midwives and HVs.
Less so by the general public.
Yes to letting nursery/childminders know.
They usually disappear completely by 5 years of age.

That's a difficult one, I know of them because I have been a registered midwife and were taught about them at uni. But had I not trained as a midwife and living in a fairly 'white' area, I don't think I would have heard of them,

They have all faded away by a year old, though.

"A touch of the tar brush.. " What the actual fuck. I cannot believe she said that to you SoulAccount, how bloody rude!

Both mine had them, but they faded to nothing over time. I think it depends what kind of demographic you live in, as to whether they are well known about. I don't suppose a white area would have much awareness of them

I only know it cause of Emmerdale when Vanessa's baby turned out to be Kirans and therefore 1/4 Indian Asian and not Adam's (who is white).

I realise how thick I sound, guys x

My ds was born with quite a big one at the Base if his spine , it did look like a bruise. It's all but faded now he's 3 but I remember telling the nursery when he started at 9 months old not to think it's a bruise !
Where it has faded he now has fine downy hair .
The midwife told us what it was and explained it's usually present in more darker skinned babies. DP and I are both olive skinned but not of Asian decent - to our knowledge!

I have seen them at work (nursery nurse) and although usually pretty obvious what they are if a parent hasn't mentioned them nursery is duty bound to ask for safe guarding reasons. I would make sure you always tell nursery/school about them when enrolling DC into any new setting. I have been surprised though that not many people seem to know about them including some very experienced colleagues.

I got the rage when DD was tiny as one day when changing her nappy I noticed these 'bruises' and it was after we had been to visit a family member who was a bit rougher with DD than I would have liked and assumed that she had bruised her by holding/bouncing her too hard. I then had a google and it came up with the Mongolian blue spots and I realised that actually they weren't bruises at all but just birthmarks. So glad now that I didn't confront her, as the hormones were clearly out in full force. It is supposedly more common in children of mixed heritage so perhaps that is why it is less known than a port wine stain birthmark or other more common marks. DD is 7 months now and it has faded and is barely visible now, you would only notice if you were as well acquainted with her bottoms appearance as I am after a gazillion nappy changes!

yup, SlumcatMillionaire , rude, and probably racist. Also potentially trouble-causing - given the Emmerdale storyline! Big Tact Fail on her part.

However, my brother, who is white, and a scientist, is well aware of the mixed race heritage in our family, and was not inclined to suspect my (white) SIL of cheating. He did comment on hearing his family background being described in such terms in the feedback form they were given.

No Asian heritage here at all. We're as English as it's possible to be. DS had a Mongolian blue spot at the base of his spine. It was definitely there at 4 but at 5, it's gone. It looked exactly like a bruise. We notified preschool and school when he started.