Arrested Because Of My Baby's Birthmark! #MongolianBlueSpot

The Mongolian blue spot is a distinctive type of birthmark that often sparks curiosity due to its unique appearance and cultural associations. While benign and usually harmless, this birthmark has garnered attention for its prevalence in certain populations and the occasional misconceptions surrounding it.

What is a Mongolian Blue Spot?
A Mongolian blue spot, also known as a congenital dermal melanocytosis, is a flat, bluish-gray or greenish area of discoloration that typically appears on the lower back, buttocks, or shoulders of newborns. The spot may also be found on other parts of the body, though this is less common.

Appearance and Characteristics:

Color: The mark is usually blue-gray, but it can range to greenish or even slightly brownish hues.
Shape: The spots are often irregular in shape, with edges that blend into the surrounding skin.
Size: They can vary in size from a few millimeters to several centimeters in diameter.
Causes and Development
The Mongolian blue spot is caused by melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells in the skin, getting trapped in the deeper layers of the dermis during fetal development. Normally, melanocytes migrate to the upper layers of the skin (epidermis), but when they remain deeper in the dermis, the skin above them appears bluish due to the Tyndall effect—a scattering of light that makes deeper pigments appear blue.

These birthmarks are congenital, meaning they are present at birth. They are not caused by any injury or trauma to the baby and are not associated with any medical conditions or syndromes.

Prevalence and Demographics
Mongolian blue spots are most commonly seen in infants of Asian, African, Native American, and Hispanic descent. Studies suggest that over 80% of newborns in these groups are born with these marks. They are far less common in Caucasian populations, where only about 10% of newborns might have them.

Fading Over Time:

In most cases, Mongolian blue spots fade as the child grows older, usually disappearing by the age of 4 or 5.
In some instances, particularly if the spot is larger or darker, it may persist into adolescence or adulthood, but this is rare.
Cultural and Historical Significance
Historically, the Mongolian blue spot has been a subject of cultural significance. The name itself stems from the mark's association with Mongolian populations, where it was first described by European explorers.

In various cultures, these birthmarks have been interpreted in different ways:

Protection and Spiritual Beliefs: In some cultures, the Mongolian blue spot is believed to protect the child from evil spirits or is seen as a mark of divine favor.
Misconceptions and Stigmatization: In other contexts, particularly in regions where the spot is less common, it has sometimes been mistaken for bruising, leading to concerns about child abuse. Educating healthcare professionals and caregivers about the nature of this birthmark is essential to prevent unnecessary alarm.
Medical Considerations
The Mongolian blue spot is generally harmless and does not require any treatment. However, it is important for healthcare providers to correctly identify these marks to differentiate them from other skin conditions or bruising.

Diagnosis:

Typically diagnosed by visual inspection, the spot’s characteristic appearance makes it easily recognizable.
No medical intervention is necessary unless the spot changes in color, size, or shape, which might warrant further investigation to rule out other skin conditions.

#MongolianBlueSpot #Birthmark #Dermatology #SkinPigmentation #NewbornCare #PediatricDermatology #HealthcareAwareness #EthnicBirthmark #BenignCondition #MedicalEducation

[onceuponanexploration]

This is why there is an effort to make dermatology slides more diverse.

[Nolababyever]

They are common in black babies. We were all.born with this in my family.

[RaiWilliams-petg]

My little brothers had Mongolian blue drops on their bums … medicine needs to understand black and ethnic people are not the same as white SIMPLE 😢

[SamanthasUniverse]

I have seen these marks on Black babies.❤❤❤ Thank you for all of your work of spreading this information.❤

[sheilajsmith]

That’s wild. Both of my children had them. So did my baby sister. I this was common in Black babies, because I’ve seen them more often than not

[kalizya]

My son was born with Mongolian marks the nurse was like why does he have this (insinuating that it’s not supposed to be there)!?

[nikkiwoo]

Yup. My son was born with these all over his back and buttocks. Drs said they are called “Mongolian Spots”. Said they’d go away as he got older and darker. He got darker but you can still see them on his back. He is 29 now.

[Can_think_of_a_name]

This is why we need diverse medical textbooks!

[happymack]

NA middle aged woman here who still has her spots. A family friend was visiting and she saw my back while I was tucking my shirt into my skirt. She thought I had fallen down the stairs 😮😊

[BrotherKnowledge.]

Medicine will advance is increasing the quality of care Black patients have access to as more Black medical professionals join medicine and healthcare. We are the only ones who will consistently treat us with the quality of care that we deserve to be treated with.

[MrNicoleCherie]

It doesnt look inflicted at all. The bruises are symmetrical almost. It looks organic. You can tell by the layout of the pattern. Usually bruising from abuse comes from hitting, slamming, dropping etc. You'll see it on their sides, butt, fingers, legs, chest and usually upper back. They have certain patterns like deep large bruises, welts, circle shaped burns etc. not spotting. An experience or trained person would be able to tell period otherwise every bump could be a sign of abuse.

[crystalvickers]

My child's father was accused of DV because I bruise easily, and it was reported by a family member who hates me as a way to try to take our child. I had to show her the bruises after my surgery from them moving me off the table and the bruises on my arm that came from playing with my dog and carrying bags of groceries. The sad part was we weren't even living together anymore and even though the case was completely dismissed I had to go an entire week of being investigated. An entire unsubstantiated case that was completely embarrassing and traumatizing. I was never so happy to have Google active showing we had had no contact on my phone than ever. There needs to be consequences for people who make false reports because the system is already stretched to the max with real cases.

[makesomaliagreatagainhanij]

I love you. Keep do The good job and God bless you.🥰🥰🥰

[crystalvickers]

Sadly, dermatology has always failed me and my children. They do not know what yeast looks like on black skin, nor do they know what MRSA looks like on the face that presents as acne. I sadly had to go to urgent care where the doctor was from Africa who swapped my daughter's face and discovered that she had MRSA due to both of her parents being in health care working with the elderly population in the nursing home, so we are all carriers. The same urgent care doctor helped me when my skin was rubbing off due to a yeast infection caused by taking biologics that made me very susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections. I now just go to the urgent care and skip children and my PCP. Sadly they refuse to swob because they overly police cost for African Americans. I have 4 other occasions as well where I was misdiagnosed due to the lack of diversity training. All the pictures are of whites so they have no clue. Please seek out doctors who have a biochemistry background because doctors do NOT have the same beginning education. They are more likely to ask why than to give a script for every symptom. I live in a very diverse city so this is an overall issue in healthcare sadly.

[jamekamiller]

My daughter had them!! We call them mongoloid spots🤷🏾‍♀️ this is very common with babies of color

[lasoniamonroe]

My babe boy had the same thing, which finally went away

[msannmarieable]

My baby is mixed and she has the same birthmark

[trinitycross]

My nephew is 2yr and 4 mths and he still has these marks on his back, what's the reason blk babies have these things.

[uniekjohnson]

I'm blk and my kids all had this .my daughter did our DNA and we have Asian DNA which I knew between have their eyes

[nicolethompson]

My mom has a blue-green birthmark on her butt. I assume it's some variation of a Mongolian spot. Oh and are we no longer calling them Mongolian spots? Let me know so I'm not being insensitive