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

Anyone who has any Spanish ancestry may well have DNA from the Moorish era.

My brother and I look UK white, totally straight brown Caucasian hair, white skin tone (though not pale: we tan instantly and easily), but we happen to know of a particular heritage from a lot of generations ago. It can't be rare. in the end most of us are a right old mix, if you do go back generations and generations.

My kids and all nephews, nieces, cousins, all had blue spots.

I've heard of them, never seen them. I think it's worth mentioning any birthmarks to nursery, school or whatnot. I was called to school to explain 'bruising' on my child which was a patch of darker pigment (oddly enough I've got a patch of skin in the same place with less than normal pigment).

Actually I think it's worth noting anything unusual about your children's body. I took a different child of mine to the GP so I could have on record some bruising she got really often. I knew that whenever she banged her hip, the vein over her hip-bone would open and the bruising was nasty. If I worked with kids and saw that, I'd be inclined to report it.

I didn't have a clue until my son was born. I thought he had a bruise on his bum and when it didn't disappear I googled it and realised what it was.

And I have a port wine stain on my arm and when people spot it for the first time they either think it's a burn or a bad bruise, my mum was forever explaining it to everyone, especially in the summer (it only shows up dark when I'm warm so in cool weather it's not as noticeable).

I work in a nursery so am aware of them from child protection training. I don't recall ever seeing one 'in real life' though.

My husband is 70 and still has his so they don't always fade.

I had one as a baby and have no Asian heritage in my family lines. It faded as I got older

I only know of them because of a story line in Hollyoaks (my guilty secret) a few months ago.

The shame! But I learnt something, I did have to google them to find out as I'd never heard of them.

Im 48 and mine hasn't faded, it starts at the bottom of my spine and covers a lot of my bum.
I was in hospital when I was 8 and a nurse reported it as a bruise but a dr knew what it was. I don't think there has ever been anything else said about it.
I'm milk bottle white but I think there is Mediterranean blood somewhere down the line.

My 18yr old has one, when it was spotted at a few weeks old it was put in his red book & medical records so it was never mistaken for a bruise. I'd never heard of them before and have come across a lot of people who hadn't too.

My eldest DD has one a little bigger than a fifty pence on her buttock. I had never heard of them before my gp explained what it is when she was a baby. She explained that they are usually found on pp of Asian descent and fade by the time they're school age - my little girl is white British and now 9 years old but the blue spot is still exactly the same. Nobody comments because it's concealed but looks like a big bruise.

Just asked my mother...

Apparently my oldest cousin had one on his head but he was also bruised after birth so they first didn't see it. And now he has a lot of hair...

But it was apparently nearly completely faded when they shaved his head as a boy (because of lice....) when he was about 4. I didn't have any but what she calls a stock's bite. It was apparently read

My ds has a huge strawberry birthmark on his tummy. I once got several missed calls and messages from nursery when he said he had a sore stomach and they noticed it and thought it was a massive injury. They freaked out which surprised me because they were usually very calm and practical.

My dd has one at the base of her spine - it has faded quite a lot so not sure if anyone would notice it now. It did look like a bruise when she was little. She has South Asian heritage. I am white and hadn't heard of Mongolian Blue Spots until the GP told me that that what it was. She explained that they were common in people of Asian, African and Mediterranean heritage.

Don't think anyone else has ever commented on dd's blue spot. Don't even know if dd is aware of it herself!

I've never heard of them before

Maybe Mediterranean babies are by some people not seen as white on a regular basis?

What? My family are Italian , although I'm second generation British, if I am not white, what am I then? if you go on holiday to Italy, Portugal, Spain, Greece etc do you not consider the locals white? And if not what do you consider them? Who do you consider to be white?

Is it people who are heritage British?

😱

My youngest sister was born with a blue left arm, my mother is mixed race & dad is white. Eldest of 4 daughters (me) white as a ghost with green eyes & blonde hair , my sisters all have darker skin tones, brown eyes & dark hair. They used to say I came from the milkman
Youngest sister is now 18 & the blue faded over time.

I had never heard of them until I had my first Dc.
My partner is Brazilian and the doctor mentioned them.
I was mortified when I was giving her, her first bath and thought her bottom was bruised. Then I remembered what yhe doctor had said.
It faded away after a few months.

Both Dc had the BCG when they were born because of the Brazillian side and lots of people have asked about it.

I had never heard of them until a close friend and her DH (both British white and thought they were for several generations back) had a baby with one. Their other baby didn't have one.

Bluntness

I don't know!!

Tbh, I've always cared more about my nationality/the culture attached to it than my race. I mean, I'm Swiss with Italian and Swedish heritage (and passport). That's me... But I'd call myself white, yes. I also think my grandmother is white/Caucasian...

Is it people who are heritage British

yes, the person that made this comment was British/English. When he saw a family portrait in the family room... Grumble!!

I mean, I don't care if somebody thinks I (or my nonna) am not white. But the tone of that comment was... difficult.
Also the phrasing... "clearly not really white

(Interesting thing, some would say I'm not white... But not because of my Italian heritage...)

My son has one right on his bum and in the bum crack. the HV put it in his red book and I used to make sure all childcare providers were aware of it

My daughter has a big red birth mark on her bum cheek that looks like a bite mark!

DCs are mixed race. Ex is Nigerian.

DS has one on the base of his spine just above his buttocks and it really does look like a bad bruise in the right light! it's in his red book and the professionals and school are aware. Easier said than done I know OP but try not to take no notice of swimming lady.

I had one when I was born and my mum had to explain to GP what it was. My DD had one and the HV pointed it out to me, but being of Chinese heritage I can't say I'm surprised.

I guess living in London means people are more aware as the population is more diverse.

Both my children have had them I made sure preschools etc knew and will inform school for DD. They are mixed and showed up more because they skin is paler and the blue showed up. My DD was as a big as a handprint. I had to explain them a few times as Im the blonde blue eyed parent and HV were abit because I had said what they were. I fortunately had a SIL who predicted they might have them.

My two dd's were marked in the red book straight away. Twenty years ago, tbh I wasn't aware of them before I had my girls. Neither was I aware of Sickle cell trait til I fell pregnant.