10yo with very deep "inny" belly button - stinky inside

[Stinkerantibiotic]

Hi, hoping someone has advice. Dd has a very very very deep inny - maybe 1inch or so. It became hard to clean it as she has grown and as she is getting more independent with bathing I haven't been keeping much of an eye. She sat next to me today and I got a waft of a terrible smell - turns out she has been poking it with her finger and "de-cheesing" it 😱(couldn't find vomit).

I'd love to think she is creating some new antibiotic in there (didn't I read something about this?) but in reality I don't think anyone wants to study what is being created in her black hole... Does anyone have advice on how to clean it thoroughly without it becoming sore? We did try with Q tips for a bit but she said they hurt. What have I overlooked that is obvious?

If she’s not over weight then I’d take her to see a GP. An inch would be quite far into her body on a 10 year old who often don’t have much body fat and very flat stomachs. Maybe it’s what someone has described above - a type of hernia?

What is an inny?Sorry have re read now.

Saltwater/saline solution squirted in there to wash it out, twisted bit of tissue poked in gently to dry it out. All clothing waistbands to either go well above, or well below, let it air out at home.

A few drops of tea tree every night

I have this. It can be embarrassing! Like others have said, q-tips to clean and dry with warm water. I have eczema so if it gets sore I put some of that down it. Also, I have a steroid inhaler. A GP told me years ago about studies of it helping sore skin when strapping up muscles for sport - sometimes I spray that down and that also sorts out any soreness.

My belly button used to be wide and deep but after keyhole gallbladder surgery a couple of years ago it’s much smaller now. Pregnancy number 2 has turned it into an out-y pretty much. 😂
I used to clean mine with a cotton bud soaked in Savlon. It felt uncomfortable if it touched the end of the inside but needs must to get rid of the dead skin cells and smell.

GP, it sounds infected.

If it smells bad then that's an infection - most likely a fungal infection.

I have a belly button which is a line instead of a round hole and as such gets no air.

Athletes foot cream clears it up in a day if it's sore or smells.

I make sure to wash it with soap and ensure it's dry and then use cream if it gets bad.

I give my equally deep and occasionally stinky belly button a poke with an alcohol wipe once a week or so.

When mine gets like this I give it a good blast with the shower head and that seems to sort it!

Canestin or daktarin cream on a cotton bud a couple of times a week. It's getting thrush or similar fungal because it's warm and damp.

Thank you all so much for your stinky hole stories!

I have Canesten in the cupboard - I did put a couple of drops of clear iodene in there earlier as I thought it would be able to "permeate" better than a cream and kill nasties. I'll make sure she has a stash of Q tips and will order some anti-fungal powder too. It is quite a narrow hole too so, as some have said, not much air. My bb used to be quite deep but became an "outy" in pregnancy and now is much shallower so I don't have this issue any more! I won't recommend pregnancy to her, however.

Amazing help as ever, vipers!

I've had this for about 15 years (luckily only about once a year) and it's horrible! I've had four kids and never had an outy either. It's gets really sore and red. when it's really bad it absolutely smells 😷😷😷 the doctors give me metronidazol (sp?) antibiotics, theyre not nice either but it clears it up. Make sure she uses a clean towel to dry it properly after a bath then boil wash the towel! 😂