The information in this blog has to do with the article that I posted in my last blog (The Mongolian Spot – The Article). I suggest you read that one first.
When I first came, my mother’s aunt changed my diaper and came to my mother upset. She was sure that someone had hurt or was hurting me. She was concerned about the bluish mark on my buttocks that looks like a bruise.
My Mongolian Spot has long since disappeared and now I have the same issue with my son. Though I know that they vary in size and coloration, my son’s is very light and very small. Most people don’t even notice it. However, here are some things that you will want to do no matter how noticeable it is:
1. Make sure that you tell your family and friends about the Mongolian Spot to avoid potential uncomfortable moments. Everyone will be thankful for it in the end.
2. Just like the article says, it will important to let your doctor know about the Mongolian spot. If your doctor has never treated Korean children, or other people who normally have this spot, it could be a surprise to them. Doctors have a lot of information in their heads, but they can’t remember everything. I showed my doctor his spot on the first visit and she made notes of it in his file.
3. If you are going to be leaving your child with a babysitter or a daycare center, make sure you show them. Bring them a copy of the article in my last post so that really understand the situation. Certified daycare centers have a responsibility to report abuse and if they don’t understand about Mongolian Spots it could lead to more embarrassing moments.
4. Also, if it doesn’t go away by the time your child is old enough to have a better understanding of his/her body, don’t forget to tell your child about it. You don’t want them to think something is wrong.
All in all, the Mongolian Spot is really not something to worry about. It’s just something tyou have to explain to everyone to make sure they don’t worry about it.
Glad you covered this…our son’s Mongolian spots are very dark, and very blue in color. He has several on his bottocks and even a set of small ones up his back that somewhat resemble fingerprints…we were sure to document tham and I show anyone who might change his diaper so they’ll know we aren’t mistreating him.
It’s not just oriental children. My daughter from El Salvador had a dark Mongolian spot, about the size of a large thumb print, at the base of her spine. Fortunately, her pediatrician was knowledgeable about this and we never had problems. She is 20 years old now and the spot has vanished completely.
Hi Mo,
Everyone in my family has major Mongolian spot action, and interestingly, my son, who’s half Korean, had a whopper, obviously from Mommy’s side of the family. We made sure to let everyone know at his daycare; it’s funny, because I thought it was so cute, that big purple spot on his butt, but my mother is a social worker and works with a lot of Asian immigrants who don’t speak English, and they are often accused of abuse because of the lack of knowledge about hese spots…
cheers,
marie
http://infertility.adoptionblogs.com
I remember the day we got custody of Mia from the orphanage. When we returned to the house where we were staying in Guatemala, Kristina wanted to change her into something we had brought for her. Almost immediately after taking her into the room, Kristina came out with tears in her eyes asking me to come look. Sure enough there were what looked like bruises on her buttocks and on her arm.
Thankfully, the couple we were staying with were hispanic and explained about Mongolian Spots with us. When we returned to the United States, one of the first things we did was notify our pediatrician. He was very familiar with the spots and documented each one. Our nursery at church and our babysitters are all aware of them as well.
Thanks for writing this blog. I may have to post a similar topic sometime over in the Guatemala Blog.