please help - babys back

[LovemyBubx]

Just noticed this when changing him (had poo quite high up so put him on his side to make sure I wiped properly) its never been noted before.

Now ive got spina bifada in my head please help

 

[_Meep_]

I just took this photo of my daughter's bum for you. Think it has a bonus dog hair stuck to it, sorry!

Like you, as soon as I noticed this, I Googled and freaked myself out.

The good news is a lot of that information is misleading. At the time I Googled, my baby was about three months old and I was seeing a cranial osteopath because she was experiencing some breastfeeding problems. I asked her about it, in the vain hope she might know something, and she explained that there are three layers of cells that form from a fertilised egg, which become different parts of a foetus. The top layer becomes the skin, and sometimes, during the closing of the neural tube and the different parts of the baby's body, you can get a 'midline defect' on the back like this, as the skin gets pinched in.

Tongue ties are likely also a result of this, and are classed as a midline defect. A more serious example would be a cleft lip or palate. Interestingly, my daughter did have a posterior tongue tie, and a lip tie.

Anyway, she told me that she had seen hundreds, if not thousands, of babies whose backs looked like this and they had all been fine. She also told me her youngest daughter has this. And as it turns out, so does my 9-month-old niece! My best friend's son has a crooked top to his bottom, which I read could be a really bad sign - yet he is a perfectly normal three-year-old.

Your baby's spine and back will have been thoroughly checked at birth, during his midwife visit and at his six week check. Look in your red book for what they have written on the pages for these checks. There is a 'spine' option there.

It does look like he has two little sacral dimples there, which my LO does not have, but these are common and not a problem as long as they are shallow and you can see the bottom of them, or the bottom can be located by a medical professional. If you are still worried at all, they can easily put your mind at ease or start the ball rolling if there is any further investigation to be done.

Today my LO is a normally-developing 11-month-old who has recently taken her very first steps and is on her way to walking independently soon. Her bum 'v' is also much less obvious than it used to be as she has put on weight.

Hope this helps!

 

[LovemyBubx]

Thankyou I'm a bit more reassured now but worried about the dimples they do seem quite deep.

I have checked the red book & its just been circled as being satisfactory. So couldn't be seen or just wasn't there before?

I'm so glad your daughter has been developing just fine

I think I will ring gp tomorrow & hope I get seen quick x

 

[_Meep_]

Either they didn't notice it, or there is nothing to worry about.

It will always have been there. There's no way it could have developed over time I don't think.

I think you are doing the right thing by getting it properly checked - I'm sure it will be fine.

 

[_Meep_]

P.S. So sorry - I worded that badly - as I understand it, they can be deep but as long as they are not open (as long as they have a bottom) then doctors do not worry about them!

 

[ClairAye]

My daughter's was like this from birth, she's now 18 months and the crease has been gone for a few months now. Best get it checked if you are worried though!

 

[LovemyBubx]

I don't understand how I didn't notice it before or the doctor/health visitor didn't mention it to me.

Have to ring go tomorrow to get a appointment couldn't give me one today for some reason (urgh!)

Been looking at his back & the dipoles do have a bottom & aren't as deep as I thought but I think I still need some reassurence xx

 

[_Meep_]

I didn't notice it either for months! It's just not really a place you look at I guess, since nappy changes are generally performed when the baby is lying on his or her back! Baths too ... putting them face down would be highly dangerous lol.

 

[halullat]

My son is seeing a geneticist (unrelated issue), she said it is very common and usually totally harmless. My son has one, I have one and one of my sisters has one, we are all fine xx

 

[LovemyBubx]

Thankyou that's very reassuring

 

[_Meep_]

Just wondering if you managed to get your son seen, amd how it went?

 

[LovemyBubx]

Yes took him to the doctor & she said she doesn't know the name of it but its proberbly just the way he is, if there's nothing coming out of it then not to get worried & she just said if it changes they will check again.

Happy I went just for some reassurance xx

 

[_Meep_]

I know the name of it - it's called a forked gluteal cleft. Lol!

Glad you're feeling better - it is perfectly normal, though Google will always lead you to believe otherwise.

 

[rwhite]

Glad you've been reassured Just came to say, my daughter has this too.

Meep - My LO had a lip and tongue tie too, interesting!

 

[_Meep_]

It really is - I was talking a few months back to two other mums on here whose babies had lip/tongue ties and as it turned out, both of them also had bum issues - one had a sacral dimple and the other had an issue with his crack, though she didn't specify what ...

 

[ClairAye]

It really is - I was talking a few months back to two other mums on here whose babies had lip/tongue ties and as it turned out, both of them also had bum issues - one had a sacral dimple and the other had an issue with his crack, though she didn't specify what ...

That is strange, my LO also has lip tie!

OP, I'm glad you got some reassurance

 

[LovemyBubx]

Ha thanks meep for giving me the name lol

DS hasn't been checked for tongue or lip tie.

 

[superfrizbee]

Looks just like my ds's butt. His doctor looked at it and said it was fine