I thought it would be good to share things we have seen or learnt that we didn't know about before, so that we can learn from each other's experiences.

While visiting a mum & baby today my mentor pointed out to me that the baby had a 'Mongolian Blue Spot' I didn't have a clue what it was so when I got home I googled it, and here is what I found out;

A mongolian blue spot is a non cancerous birthmark which is often seen in dark skinned babies, especially those of Asian, East Indian or African descent.

It is a flat blue or blue-grey skin marking that commonly appear at birth or shortly thereafter.

Mongolian blue spots
Occasionally, Mongolian blue spots are mistaken for bruises, which can raise a question about possible child abuse. It is important to recognize that Mongolian blue spots are birthmarks, NOT bruises.
Symptoms include:

• Blue or blue-grey spots on the back, buttocks, base of spine, shouders, and other body areas
• Flat area with irregular shape and unclear edges
• Normal skin texture

The bluish discoloration often fades in a few years and is almost always gone by adolescence.

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Midwifemissy x

Student Midwife 2007
Student uni rep
Educational Resources Manager

PAB Support Worker

My nephews have these, their mum (my sis) is white and their dad is chinese. She was really conserned about them with her first because no one explained to her what they were..She got worried when she took little one to the docs b'cos she thought he might think she had been hitting him...
XX

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Have you just been offered a place? If so and you want a mentor please post in post this forum (also post here if you would like a mentee)

I can imagine why she would be worried about that, they do look a lot like bruises to the untrained eye.

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Midwifemissy x

Student Midwife 2007
Student uni rep
Educational Resources Manager

PAB Support Worker

I've had a couple of babies born with these, it does look just like bruising doesn't it? we always show parents at birth and document it everywhere just to ensure its read by anyone involved in the care x

That is awful Tiffany, I am shocked it wasnt explained at the newborn examination to the parents - how odd.

As a student midwife you get taught to take a babes temp after birth, however have I seen this is practise nooooooooo! Some babies go to postnatal ward with temp of under 36 degrees, no hat. what is with this? No wonder some mothers complain that their wee one is not interested in feeding, they have no energy to maintain a bloody feed. This is my pet peeeeeeeevvvvvvv

x 10000000000000

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ooohh you should work at our unit, its a huuuuugggeee nono, IR1 forms are filled in if a baby arrives on the ward cold mega tutututututututttting all round, don't routinely put hats on them though,only if they have no hair.
Parents should have bee told though, bad practise xx

Their head is where most of the evaporation happens and where most of the heat is lost first. The amount of times I have seen babies in incubators due to mild hypothermia and no doubt hypoglycaemia is revolting.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr

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gosh never seen that happen its v.rare we have cold babies TBH we get told at mandatory training that a hat on a baby with loads of hair thats wet from delivery will make it colder due to evaporation x

I had a friend whose baby had mongolian spots and she was reported to cps by the daycare provider. It was so normal to them that they didn't think of telling the provider what they were. The provider said that he shouldn't have them anymore at three years old, but he did. Anyhow, they didn't have any trouble from cps as their doctor quickly wrote a letter but the provider certainly learned something.

Gosh how awful, good job it got resolved x