Opening Paragraph: Laxmi Thapa, a Nepalese national residing in Basingstoke, found herself detained by police after her six-month-old son’s harmless birthmarks were mistaken for bruises. Thapa, 29, described her ordeal as akin to being treated “like a criminal” during the incident, which unfolded after medical staff followed protocols for suspected child abuse.
Campaigners are now advocating for greater awareness of these birthmarks, known as Mongolian blue spots, which appear on babies with brown or black skin. They stress the potential devastation of misdiagnosis on families, highlighting the need for improved education among healthcare professionals.
According to the NHS, Mongolian blue spots are blue-gray marks often found on the lower back, bottom, arms, or legs of babies, and typically fade by the age of four without requiring treatment. Thapa’s son had these marks noted in his medical records since birth, but concerns arose when the spots darkened and new ones appeared.
Thapa recounted spending 20 hours in a cell at Basingstoke Police Station, separated from her breastfeeding baby, until medical reports confirmed the nature of the markings. She expressed her distress, stating, “It was hard for me. I have never been separated from my baby since his birth. At that time, I was like a criminal.”
