It’s not a secret that racial bias can sneak into medical setting. There have been studies that reveal some doctors still believe disproven beliefs like Black people have thicker skin, a higher threshold for pain or are “drug seeking” when requesting medication to manage their pain. These beliefs and others like them can become obstacles to appropriate and timely treatment.
When people think of these scenarios, they often think of these things happening to adults. Unfortunately, racial biases affect children of color as well which can delay vital treatment. A mom who goes by the screen name Nursebblay put out an urgent PSA for parents who have Black and Latina girls after her experience with her daughter’s pediatrician.
Nursebblay is mom to a Black 7-year-old girl who started showing concerning signs of early puberty, which prompted the mom to schedule an appointment with the pediatrician. But to her surprise, her concerns about her very young daughter starting puberty were dismissed.
She explains that her daughter started to have increased perspiration, attitude changes and pre-pubescent hair growth. When meeting with the pediatrician about the puberty symptoms, the doctor informs the worried mom, “‘yes, this is early puberty and had your daughter been caucasian we would order further testing and evaluations.’ But because my daughter is Black and Black and Latina girls go through puberty really early he felt that nothing else was necessary, we were good to go.”
Thankfully the mom isn’t accepting of that answer and pushes to see a pediatric endocrinologist to double check. The specialist responds to the mom in an email expressing the same sentiment is expressed calling it “normal.” Nursebblay replies demanding that her daughter be treated based on symptoms and not the color of her skin.
See her video plea here:
@nursebblay As a mom I want personalized care for my children. All peoole should be treated based on the symptoms that they are having. My daughter was inly 7 years old when she started having symptoms, and we were dismissed. #parentingtips #parentingjourney #parentinghacks #tipsparenting #homeschooling #ilmuparenting #parentlife #homeschool #draisahdahlan #kidsbelike #gentleparenting #raisingkids #parentingana #parenthood #parentsoftiktok #toddlertantrums #childcare #kidsactivities #toddlerlife #labtestforkids #toodler #tumbuhkembanganak #sensoryplay #mom #prettyblackgirl #blackgirl #blackwomen #blackwoman #blackmen #blackgirlmagic #earthyblackgirl #blackgirlhairstyles #blackgirlcontentcreator #blackwomenoftiktok #blackgirlsrock #hairappointment #blackmenoftiktok #blackgirltiktokers #birminghamhairstylist #aliciakeysbraids #dreadslocks #locsoftiktok #pinkhair #blackgirltok #darkskin #brownskin #womenwithlocs #brownskingirl #darkskingirl #hispana #latinas #latinasbelike #hispanic #girlies #mexican #girly #prettygirls #citygirls #girlsbeinggirls #girlthings #womanhood #latina #latinastiktok #imjustagirlintheworld #girlproblems #imjustagirl #girlie #tallgirls #rbf #thickerthanasnicker #girlhood #girlll #girlypop #hottie #puertorican #imher #girlmath #oldermomsoftik #tallgirl #girlsnightout #girltok #girlsbelike #prettyprivilege #grils #yourworldwithin #evolved #questioned #threatened #buzzing #equally #ambitious #professionally #bouncing #klled #devastating #heavily #leapyear #grandkids #plotting #poorly #observation #disappearance #forsure #perceived #determined #thenvsnow #pandemic #terribly #procrastinating #tweak #realizing #thriving #embraced #thirty #sophomore #frostbite #tremendous #sexuality #flown #nutshell #TrendTok #TrendTokApp
After finally seeing the pediatric endocrinologist, the frustrated mom receives her daughter’s results. They’re abnormal. In fact the doctor wants to order an MRI and further testing to check the little girl’s adrenal glands.
In her follow up video, the mom is clear that she’s not using her platform to try to “take down” a doctor or the medical establishment. She’s using her platform to educate parents on this bias so they can properly advocate for their children. The mom is also putting a call out for medical providers to take these situations seriously no matter the ethnicity or race of the child as things could be missed. Commenters flooded her comments with gratitude and heartbreak for their own experiences.
See her follow up here:
@nursebblay
“This makes me so angry. This happened to us as well. Unfortunately by the time my daughter was seen her growth plates had closed. She was only 12 at the time,” one mom reveals.
“As a father of a Latina girl, I really appreciate this information, thank you mom,” one dad says.
“I always had symptoms and doctors dismissed it..my parents trusted doctors. They trusted their education. It’s not my immigrant parents fault! Now I’m in my 20s dealing w pcos & so many side effects,” another commenter writes.
“The same applies for boys…My son is 13 at 6’2″ at 200lbs. The doctors only focused on his weight and finally one listened and ordered an IGF test or insulin-like growth factor. His range was that of a man in his 20’s. Based on my own research if left untreated can lead to diabetes and endocrine, cardiovascular issues. Makes sense for PCOS,” a mom says.
This mom isn’t done advocating. In a more recent video she reveals she has taken the matter up with the hospital group’s policy makers to make a systematic change on how they treat different races of children. Hopefully her advocacy goes a long was as it doesn’t seem like she will be stopping any time soon.