Is it normal for a 4 year old girl to get quite smelly 'down there'?

[Eebs]

My 4 yr old dd can get quite smelly around her "girl bits". She also gets some discharge and complains of her underwear sticking to her. Is this normal at this age? She hates washing herself down there (although she will under pressure) and won't let me do it. Consequently she has been getting quite red and sore. Am worried it could be an infection.

it could be nothing, or it could be a spot of thrush. i would go to the doc. is she going to the loo lots, to pass water? that was one of dd's main symptoms when she had thrush.

Mine is 4, haven't noticed discharge but she can get smelly unless she has a bath every day. She's not the best wiper and I think she leaves traces of wee when she goes at school. I would go to the GP though to be on the safe side.

No she doesn't go to the loo a lot. Don't know much about thrush, what are the other symptoms?

I have 2 dds (6 and 4) they wash themselves without any fuss, bit of baby wash or similar on a flannel then a thorough rinse either in the shower or with a jug at the end of bathtime.

Does your dd have a regular bath/shower. If so just give her a swish when she is in the bath.

We have never had issues re discharge, I would probably ask GP for advice if this was an issue.

Any "smell" I have noticed is usually where they haven't wipe 100% so a slightly stale wee smell.

Mine is 5 and definitely gets the smell (although no discharge) if she doesn't bath/shower every day. I think a bit of redness/soreness is fairly usual if they don't wipe brilliantly but you should probably get the discharge checked out.

She has a bath most days and I am making her wash (under protest but she does do it). If we miss a day she starts to smell again and I thought someone so small wouldn't smell quite so quickly but it sounds like that's not necessarily the case. Will get her checked out though

Are you using soap or similar to wash her with? We find that water alone isn't quite enough, but harsh soaps etc can cause irritation.

dd2 still has a night nappy which if it is wet smells quite strongly in the morning so as well as an evening bath we either use an unfragranced baby wipe or a warm flannel wash in the mornings too.

dd1 changes pants night and morning (her choice) and I never notice any smell.