Daughter Having Issues "Down There"

Have you tried switching laundry soap &/or fabric softener? My son had exzema very bad as an infant, and to this day I can still only use certain laundry materials. I suggest changing...the absolute best for exzema that I found for my son at first was Dreft. It is a little expensive, but it may be worth a shot. If she clears up then that was the problem. If she doesn't, then at least there is one thing to mark off. Hope it all works out for you little girl!

When I was a kid, I had a very similar problem. Turns out I was allergic to our laundry detergent. "Down there" was the only place that it bothered me -- it itched like MAD. To this day, I don't use soap in that area (you aren't supposed to anyway) and I use a free&clear laundry detergent. I haven't had any problems since.

Could be anything though, even yeast. I would take her to the doc to have it checked out.

Poor thing!

I'd call your doctor to rule out anything serious.

My daughter gets that way on occassion when she has been "forgetful" about underwear changes or doesn't wipe as well.

Have her wash nightly with warm water and a wash cloth, let her sleep in the buff on the bottom (we call it sleeping "freebie" at my house,) and a mandatory fresh pair of cotton undies each day. I find my daughter clears up quickly after a night or two of sleeping with no bottoms. I think switching to an all natural clothing soap is a great idea as well. Might help with the excema as well.

Try cutting back on sugar and having her drink a lot of water as well.

Hi J.,
I too have a six year old daughter. The last year she has had many bladder infections. First we thought it was her not wiping good enough. The dr. told me, that girls should not be taking baths even if it's without bubbles or soap. It is easy for infections. The last six months we have had her taking showers including her four year old sister. We haven't had a problem since. Good luck!

Hi J.,
You have gotten tons of great advice, dairy, sugar, yoghurt, probiotics, detergent, air, showers, dr
How do you marry it all?
If you don't find something that works, or don't know where to start, I really would recommend seeing a Naturopathic Dr cos this is the kind of advice you would get from them, but in a cohesive, digestible format, specific to your daughter and based on medical experience, not guesswork and neither relying on drugs to do away with symptoms.

Check out www.urbanwellness.com
It is a holistic primary care clinic of ND's and L.Acs based in SE.
My husband runs the clinic but I believe that Dr Roman Krupa is the one for pediatrics. Eczema and yeast infections, urinary infections, whatever your girl has, are very responsive to naturopathic treatmemt, that can address the underlying cause of the problem and free her from a life of continuos battle of these afflictions - I speak from personal experience!

All the best
Helen

There is a skin disorder that involves the vaginal region not many people know about but it is becoming increasingly common .Often girls and women get it and go for years being misdiagnosed and treated for other things .It can come on at any time but is most common at childhood and menopause .Please ask the dr about , lichen sclerosis .If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask me ...
I'm just a well informed mom who's
been there.

I had a similar thing as a child. It was because my panties were nylon or some other thing that didn't breathe, but were way cute. Switching to 100% cotton did the trick!

Maybe it could be a yeast infection. Wash without soap down there and cut back on sugar. I would take her to the Dr.

I am thinking she has a candida (yeast) problem. You might want to get her on a probiotic. I would take her to the Dr if I were you. Also adding garlic to her diet will help

I suffered severely from eczema when I was a little girl...so I know how annoying and painful it can be. I now have a dairy allergy and have done a lot of research on causes of eczema. She may have a dairy allergy or perhaps an intolerance. Try cutting out the dairy, and see what happens. I am not allergic to goat dairy though...so if she eats a lot of yogert, there is a good goat yogurt out there that tastes good too.

Have your doctor test for strep.

No A&D, use zinc, like diaper cream. OR, my daughter has the same issues, we have her put a little corn starch on it, and it helps.

J.,
I think I have seen your question a few weeks ago, and I'm sorry to hear that the issue is still going on.
Food intolerences may be a problem, expecially dairy. If it is a yeast infection, it would be itchy and swollen. Try giving her goat yogurt. (New Seasons)Our sons excema is triggered by cow dairy.
Another thing is scented laundry products. If you use scented products,she may be sensitive to them. Also, if you spot treat the crotch of her underpants with chemicals like spray n wash or Oxyclean, they may be leaving a residu that she reacts to. I use Costco brand unscented laundry soap, 20 Mule team borax and Bounce unscented dryer sheets for the static cling. When I used scented products, we all had issues with itchy skin, rashes, etc.
The last thing is that perhaps she put something in her vagina that may still be there and it's causing the problem. I know it sounds far fetched, but a friend of ours has a daughter who complained on day about her vagina hurting and his wife found a very long pine needle inside.
I hope you resolve the issue soon. It sounds awful.
Sending you many blessings and prayers for a solution.

I think this could be candida related. I would suggest cutting down on her sugar intake, even reducing the bread and other carb foods like crackers too. Also having her eat more yogurt or even getting her some child pro biotics at the health food store can help within a few weeks. Good luck to you good mama.

Hi J. everyone has said my opinion with the yeast infection. You can try getting your daughter to drink a tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar with 8 oz of water and that will help her body get rid of excess yeast. Unfortunately vagina's are a breeding ground for yeast, if you change the slightest thing it will go crazy. I remember when I was a girl my mom changed underwear brands and I got a yeast infection since there was a 5% increase in the spandex. So making sure she is wearing fabric that breathes is extremely important. Cotton, Bamboo, linen, will make a difference. Good luck.

S.

My neice had a similar problem off and on for several years before the doctors figured out what it was: pinworm! Pinworms can actually crawl into the vagina, and although they can't live and reproduce there long, like in the rectum, they can cause terrible pain and itching. You can buy an over the counter remedy for pinworm, like pinX, but I would definitely recommend getting her to the doctor. And I would ask them about doing a pinworm test. My sister in law was told that my neice likely had something "lodged in there" (they couldn't do an ultrasound or anything to determine it before hand), so they put her under anesthesia to "clean her out." All that for pinworm! She's taken two rounds of medicine (it can be tough to get rid of), and she's all cleared up! Good luck!

Same problem of my daughter. Now she is 9 yrs old. Her rash in her private area from 2 yrs to 7 yrs old. I recommend to use brand called Eve feminie soap to help the vaginal moisture in the bath. Option is soap pour in the bathtub. Or use rag with soap for the private area. It helped my daughter. I recommend

K.

She may also have a yeast infection. Some babies are actually born with them. It might be a good idea to have her doctor check her for that.

We used a mixture of vaseline and corn starch on my son. It might help your daughter. The vaseline protects them from the wetness and the corn starch helps the itching and rash. It won't hurt to try. Good luck.

I think you should have your daughter checked for eczema and a possible yeast infection.

So sorry to hear of your little one...just thought I would share my childhood...my mom was unable to give me baths,especially with bubbles (or soap) it always made my vagina area itchy and irritated. I can remember how I would scratch and adjust as you mentioned in your help question. I am now 31 and don't have any problems with baths....and haven't for like 24 years...but do think your daughters problem could be....The detergent you wash her clothing in?

I too have trouble with eczema...and have to be VERY aware of what kind of soap I use NOTHING WITH ANTI-BACTERIAL!!!!!! Do you use Dial or anything like that that just strips the heck out of your natural skin oil? MOST.. of the "Soft Soap" brand is free from anti-bacterial.

Also have you considered her diet? Does her vagina itch or hurt more on days she eats the same things? I know yogurt is really good for women and I would imagine the active cultures would be good for little girls just like big girls, so maybe try and get more yogurt in her diet....

My aunt use to let her little girl sleep with-out panties on, just her pj's (either a dress or pants and a top) just to allow the body to breath a little better....maybe that'll help?

Again just wanted to give a few suggestions....sorry if they are things you have already thought about or tried, I just feel so bad for you and your little girl. I remember how that was for me. But stick to showers, very mild and gentle soaps, watch to see if there are certain foods (like acetic foods for example: oranges, tomatoes, etc.) show signs that worsen her problem. Best of luck to the two of you! - Mom A.

I agree with changing your laundry detergent, soaps and taking her off of dairy may help too. Don't use any thing that has 'fragrance', be careful as even fragrance free stuff still has fragrance in it, so check ingredients.

One thing that really irritates my eczema is chlorine, which you will find in your water. There are balls that you can put into your tub that pulls the chlorine out of the water, there are also shower heads that do the same (not very expensive, maybe $20-40). You'll find them at health stores.

Hope she's feeling better soon!

Hi there! You could try letting her sleep without underwear so she can "air out" down there. Also make sure that she gets completely dry after her bath. Sometimes I think Desitin works better than A&D. It seems to have a little more staying power. Good luck!

I would definately get her into a doctor to have it checked out. It could be a yeast infection and if she is itching down there - she's irritating herself more. If it is a yeast infection - yogurt with live cultures is good to eat. I have heard about and just check on the net about putting PLAIN Yogurt on her infected area. I don't know about IN due to how old she is. But, I would get her into her Dr. Poor thing. I hope this helps.

Hi J.,
My daughter has had this issue as well, and it looks a little like diaper rash but it is actually yeast. You may want to ask your doctor about this, but it turned out to be the problem with my 4 year old. A&D may actually make it worse because it will seal in the moisture. It may sound funny for the little ones, but actually a little bit of monistat cream or something simliar seems to help the most. I also use baby powder on her in the mornings with clean panties just for maintenance because it seems to keep her much dryer and stops recurring yeast. I hope this helps, good luck! J.

It could be a yeast infection. Yeast infections can start appearing in the infant stage. I am not a professional but yeast infections are common.

Dear J.,
It is probably just a yeast infection. It is not exactly like a woman's yeast infection, BUT, it does itch and get red. Yeast feeds on glucose, (the body’s form of sugar), so anything that increases your blood sugar or changes the hormonal balance that regulates blood sugar can help yeast to grow out of control.

These conditions include:
diabetes
pregnancy, especially in the third trimester
birth control pills
steroids (legal and illicit ones)
antibiotics
OBVIOUSLY, your daughter isn't having sex, so the first two (above) don't count. But IF she is diabetic, or even hyper or hypo glycemic, or she has been on any antibiotics, she just might have one. You can use the over the counter creams, externally, and she should feel better fast!
You would both benefit by confirming this and going to the doctor though.
I hope this helps!!

Hello,
I have a 3 year old daughter with the same problem "down there". She gets a rash down her legs and everything. She is potty trained but I don't think she wipes very good at day care, especially when she goes #2 at school because at home I still wipe her bottom. Any way, I try to keep up on her yogurt and now try to give her a little Cranberry juice (cran grape, cran apple) diluted a little to help hopefully keep some of that at bay... my husband actually thought that we should STOP giving her baths and have her shower, that stuff in the tub from us or even her sitting in clean water was making it worse. I planned to try the shower for a week and see how things went (but gave in to her bath time once a week) and she seemed good - until I gave her that bath. I don't let her sit in soapy water as the doctor said that isn't very good for girls to do.
Hope this helps, keep me posted.
p.s. yeast infection cream helps with the itching.

Tee

Hi J.,

I'd take her to the doctor to find out what it is. It sounds like she could possibly have a yeast infection.

I know of a really good soy-based soap that many people have reported helps with their eczema. If you'd like to give some a try, feel free to contact me or visit:

http://www.bellamiacandle.scent-team.com/bellabars.php

(To read some success stories and testimonials read the January 2006 company newsletter)

Hope this information might help you!

Are you sure she doesn't have a yeast infection? I would get it checked.

Even little girls get yeast infections. Could be that...

Hi J.,

Yogurt would be a great start for your daughter (the active ingredients introduce good bacteria).

Also, we have something called Melagel that is a natural antibacterial and antifungicidal among other great things.
We have laundry detergent that does not contain fillers (which may be a cause of the itching); it also cleans clothes by lifting the dirt out rather than eating it as normal detergents do. Please see this link for the detergent. Give me a call! ###-###-#### http://www.melaleuca.com/ps/pdf_us/US_EcoSense_Difference...

Hope this helps! Blessings, K.

My daughter also has eczema so that could be it but I would talk you your daughter to see if someone touched her then call the dr to see if it could be eczema.

My friend's daughter had (and occasionally still has) this same issue, although her vaginal area got pretty red and irritated. They had vega allergy testing done, and it seems that she and her mom (who is still breastfeeding her at 3 yrs) have mega allergies. As soon as they cut those foods out of their diet, the irritation disappered. The mom also said that regular blood testing didn't show that they had ANY food sensitivities.
Hope this helps!

I have the same issues with my daughter that is ten years old and we have been dealing with it for years. She is very sensitive to acidic foods and we found out that it only happens when she eats or drinks acidic foods. Anything orange, pineapple, grapefruit, cranberry, tomatoe. Once it happens it can be cleared up with PROBIOTICS that can be found in the health food stores and rebalances the PH in their systems. Good Luck!

My little girl had these symptoms and we took her into the dr and she had a yeast infection...sure didn't look like one to me. The dr just had us use over the counter medicine used for a womans yeast infection and within a few days it was totally gone!

I know you already have many responses, but I will give you my two cents. This sound totally unrealated but it just might help. My 2yo son has eczema too. If it is not a yeast infaction you could try taking her off of dairy for 10 days and see if it clears. I did this with my son, and after a while he can now tolerate a little dairy without a huge flair up. YOu might also want to take her to a gyn. There is a condition, mostly found in women, that can make your girl area ithy, but I can't remember what it is called. Hope it helps!

It REALLY sounds like a yeast infection. If you've ever had one, compare the symptoms and you might find them strikingly similar. Try getting a yeast infection treatment over the counter and applying it externally only. Maybe consider showers for a few days instead of baths and give her yogurt to balance out her system. Those things are miserable. (And common too - I am a preschool teacher and have seen girls as young as 1 year old get them.) If its not a yeast infection, you won't be doing any harm with the cream by keeping external only and she'll at least get releif from the itching. If it doesn't go away soon, take her to be seen about it.

She may have a yeast infection. Try putting some monistat cream on her and see if it helps. If not, she needs to see a doctor. It could be some sort of other infection or for that matter another issue.

I would take her to see a specialist and mayby try using diffrent detergent my daughter has sensitive skin espcially there as do I and I can only use Dreft on her cloths also you may have to be carefully what kind of soap you use hope I could help

Hi baths dont work.. Showers do and i recommend everyday. We use dove (pink soap bar)

BTW My youngest has eczema too and it goes away with cortizone. Ya put it on after showers. But, if my kid gets stressed out she gets major outbreaks.

Hi J.
It is quite possibly a yeast infection. A Dr. visit can rule out a bladder infection and they can recommend a cream if it is a yeast infection. Baths won't help either one go away. An Aveno oatmeal bath can help with itching but won't cure it. If it is indeed a bladder infection then baths may be the culprit in the first place, showers are best and she is old enough. Best wishes on sorting out the issue.

Hi, My son has eczema. It is really bad. It might help her to use goats milk soap everytime she takes a bath/shower and goats milk lotion. When my son starts to have a break out, we just put a little goats milk lotion on it and it goes away. I purchase ours throught Windrift HIll. Here is their website. www.windrifthill.com

Another thing we have used is epsom salts in his bath. The last thing might be with the type of fabric in her underwear. I recommend all cotton. Hope this helps.

Hello! Just wondering what remedies u r useing for her exzema? U might start with your laundry detergent. Also u should look into some natural remedies like primrose oil. I am an aesthetician and hear of all kinds of exzema problems. Does she have a rash or exzema in that area? I think you should be able to ask some questions to your daughter about her pain down there. Good luck!

I would be mainly concerned about a yeast or bladder infection. When I was little, I had bladder/urinary tract infections all the time and was always itchy! I would take her to the dr. to rule those out. Then, maybe try a vinagar bath (dilute vinagar in the regular bath water), and keep her drinking lots of fluids. Also, make sure she is wearing only 100% cotton underwear. Good luck!!!

Both of my daughters (5yrs & 9yrs) both just had this very same problem. It started the next day after a bubble bath. (We won't be doing those anymore). I took them both in to the doctor because we were unable to get it cleared up. Their doctor said it is more than likely Vaginitis. She told us this is common in young girls (more so than yeast infections). She had the girls take a bath 3x times a day (with no soap or shampoo getting in the bath), then dry the area well, then lather it with the A&D (or any of the clear baby ointments) and let them sleep with no underwear for a while to let it air out. This worked very well for both of the girls and has cleared up the problem. She also said to have them drink a lot of water and cranberry juice or (1/2 cranberry juice and 1/2 water). Hope this helps! I know what you mean about the constant adjusting and itching - my 5 year old didn't really get the not being appropriate part of that!
Good Luck!

It sounds to me like a yeast infection. Try going to a health food store and get some probiotics. Yeast feeds off of sugar. Control the amount of sugar in her diet and stay low on dairy. If things do not get better take her to the doctors and they can perscribe something to make it go away. It is better to try naturally first if you can. If she can take showers instead of baths that might help too. No soap like you are doing. Hope this helps!

Hi! I wonder if it is what I have...contact dermtitus....or sensitive skin. i had severe ichies when we lived in Texas. i tried all they told me to do, white undies, laundry soap without fragrence...but it wasn't till we moved to AK that it seemed to get better. so i wonder if it was the chlorine in the water that dried me out. i have used ucerine cream alot and it is better. the more she scratches the worse it will get.i had many treatments for bacterial infection, and that was never it. it also felt as tho i was being poked with long needles. maybe trying distilled water and ucerine cream at night....??? Hope you figure it out, i understand how she feels!

Sounds like a yeast infection. If it's really bad, I suggest taking into the dr to see if they can prescribe anything for her. My son had a serious rash a few months ago. He too has eczema and so I had wondered if it was that. The dr that we had at the time, gave him a itch cream, but it didn't work. I knew this was a yeast infection, so I actually went and purchased over the counter, a woman's yeast infection cream. I used very little, but over three days the improvement was noticeable. Before the end of the week, he was all better. It worked better than the meds that the dr gave us! But, I would still suggest taking her in though. :D Hope this helps! Good luck! :D

Try giving her a bath everyday. Draw a warm bath, put two tablespoons of olive oil into a tall glass of milk. after soaking in the water to soften and open the pures put the milk and oil mixture into the water. Have her soak for at least 20min.

This REALLY has helped my huband.

Good luck

Could it be a yeast infection?? Have you been to the doctors?

My 3-1/2 yo has the same issues. She complains a lot of times that she hurts. We had a bout w/ it just a couple weeks ago where the area was very red & irritated, plus she started complaining about it itching. Of course it started on a Saturday evening so we didn't get her to the doctor til the following Tuesday.
In the meantime though I used Vagisil (tube says ages 2 & up) on her at first until it didn't look quite so irritated then switched to A&D. By the time Tuesday rolled around the area was no longer irritated at all so hard for the doctor to determine the issue. We did do a urine sample to test for UTI & that came back negative. Doctor did say she sees this with little girls not wiping well or too hard, also bath soaps. She recommended the clean water bath & also to let her go around for a little while after bath w/ no clothing to let the area air dry.
Please let me know what you find out. It's hard when you don't really know what you are dealing with. If there is truly an issue or just one of the many "fun" things that females endure in their lifetime.

Red and itchy? Perhaps she has a yeast infection. Girls of all ages can get them. I would be more prone to try natural remedies before adult creams like monistat. Yeast infections are caused internally from an upset in intestinal bacteria. Antibiotics often cause yeast infection. Very effective natural remedies include cutting back on any sugar she's getting (including simple carbs), and probiotics (acidophilius etc.) you can get it in a childrens dosage powder to mix in her milk, or you can break open a pill and mix with a drink (cold only). Yogurt with live cultures is good, but it needs to be low in sugar to help.

Have you had her evaluated for a yeast infection? Girls of all ages can get them. I would rule that out first. You might then try Vagisil wipes. These are flushable wipes and are geared for women, but they are gentle and soothing and she could use them when she goes potty. You could also try something like lavender baby wipes with aloe. It might be that she has very sensitive skin (the eczema is a give away for that) and the toilet paper is actually too rough. Combined with her thorough wiping, she is probably just irritating a very sensitive area.
I hope this helps!
C.