Five year old’s vulva “stings” very easily

[feesh]

My daughter quite often complains that her vulva is stinging, such as if shampoo or shower gel gets into the area during a shower (we only use water down there because she can’t bear anything else), or when we go swimming - we went in the sea yesterday and she was crying in pain until I got her in the shower to wash the salt water off.

She is always having a fiddle down there, I don’t know if that’s relevant or not though! She doesn’t complain of any itchiness in general though, and it only ever comes up as an issue when something gets into the area which makes it sting.

She did have something (thrush?) a few months ago, which we saw the GP about, but she wouldn’t consent to an examination and the GP rightly didn’t push it, so we were given Canesten and sent away. They gave me a kit to take a swab at home, but she freaked out so I couldn’t do it.

Do you think this could be a thrush thing? Or something else? Or nothing to worry about at all (maybe just sensitive skin)? I have no idea how to handle it.

following the pull up update, I think you should wash her (flannel&warm water) in the mornings if the pull up is wet and apply a barrier cream.
hope it gets better soon,

Could be a slight allergy. My dd used to get that if ate strawberries or oranges. Even youghurt with these. Maybe try to eliminate possible offenders..one by one

Wow, so much to think about. Thank you everyone. I have a list of things to eliminate, which is great.

I’ve just had a brainwave! We are in the Middle East, so all the toilets here have what are affectionately known as ‘bum guns’ attached! I could get her to rinse a few times a day. That will help with the hygiene side of things anyway.

Update: it was worms.

If you're using biological laundry detergent, suggest switching to non-bio and washing at 60. The enzymes in bio stuff can really irritate.

Oops cross-post! Glad you got to the, er, bottom of it OP. 😄👍🏼

Glad you got to the end of it op. Dd10 has ASD and vulval itching had blighted her, and our, lives for years. Pumpkin seeds are good to prevent worms. We also used to used sufocresm and metanium. I think she has two causes, worms and vulval sensitivity. For that we use canesten with a light steroid cream.

Dd refuses to sleep in a bed, has poor hygiene, which I’m sure reinforces it all and I spend sleepless nights trying to help her while she meltsdown. GP really isn’t all that helpful. I’ll think about LS as a friend had it for years and she didn’t know that it was. She ended up having chemo for it, actually.

I have 4 dds, and this causes so much trauma for us!

I'm a paediatrician.

Some good suggestions here.

I would take her to a paediatrician instead of s gynaecologist. Gynaecologist is likely to refer back to a paediatrician, unless it's a sub-specialised Paediatric Gynaecologist, which is not necessary for the level of complaint.

Agree with pp about encouraging her to allow the Dr to complete ye ohydicsl exam, if not, theres really very little to go on to make a ddiagnosis.Before the apt you can
do alot to prepare her for the physical exam, explain what's going to happen etc. You can do role play, or even practise. During the apt, ask her to lie back, with her legs like a butterfly with her hands on her thighs. This gives her control. Stay beside her, holding her arm or striking her hair or whatever, or at the end of the bed so you can see too. Dr probably will only look.

Posible causes:
Vulvovaginitis - common, chronic, no fever.
Urinary tract infections - usually acute, often fever, vomiting, generally unwell, symptoms on seeing.
Worms - night time symptoms, when the worms come out to lay their eggs. The sticky eggs cause the itching.
Wound - she has scratched and has a small erosion that stings.
LS - rare, but important to rule out. Maybe she scratched becuase of chronic inflammation.
Normal - also possible that she just has a habit of touching herself a lot and this causes minor irritation. But possibly a reason behind the touching, some background inflammatory process.

Is she othwise healthy, normal, easy-going and well adjusted? All these things will help point to cause. Talk to a Paediatrician.

Probably nothing serious.

Good luck.

At least it was something easy to treat! Recurrant thrush in a tiny would have been a nightmare.