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Original poster

Vulva vaginitis in my 2 and half year old

66 replies

Sh33tuC87 · 07/07/2024 22:51

I am going insane with this!!!!

Initially we thought our daughter kept getting UTIS and kept taking her to the dr for it. The screams when she would go to the loo were triggering for me and I couldn't cope with it. Every-time we went the drs would look at me funny and say "oh it's probably nothing." Finally we took her to urgent care (trice) and a dr mentioned that the previous sample came back negative and what she could be suffering with is vulva vaginitis! I mean wtf is that even? She didn't really explain it to me - just said to ride it out.
Ride it out.... how on earth do you get a 2 and half year old to ride it out!!! She is beginning to be petrified of going for a wee and will refuse to drink water because she is scared it is going to cause a sensation.
Things we do are:

  • wash with water after any form of urination or poop
  • sudocreme
  • toilet trained day and night
  • only drinks water lots of it too
  • cranberry juice daily
  • loose clothing
  • showers only
  • she can wipe from front to back but we often revert to wiping her ourselves
  • make her come off the toilet and go back on to make sure she is completely empty.
  • childminders use cotton wool and water to clean her

Like I don't know what else I can do?
When people have asked for this to be investigated further - how have they gone about it? What have the drs said?
Sorry very frustrated and just really heartbreaking watching her go through this.

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InfoSecInTheCity · 07/07/2024 23:07

Have you checked/treated for threadworms?

They can cause all the same symptoms.

Vulvovaginitis is not uncommon in young girls pre-puberty. It's an area of the body that's very sensitive and easily inflamed, once it gets irritated it became a vicious cycle of itching which causes damage which causes soreness and itching and round and round it goes.

Can you do periods of nappy/knicker free time to let air circulate and the skin to dry out. The skin being constantly damp can cause more irritation which is particularly difficult when nappies are involved.

Wash with very mild or no soap and make sure the skin is thoroughly dry before putting on a barrier cream like sudacrem.

Yourinmyspot · 07/07/2024 23:13

My daughter had this when she was around 5-6 on and off. Hers was worse at night. There wasn’t a lot that helped I’m sorry to say. Not wearing pants in bed just loose bottoms did help a bit and we would pour water on her genitals when she had a wee which helped with the pain.

Original poster
Sh33tuC87 · 08/07/2024 02:49

InfoSecInTheCity · 07/07/2024 23:07

Have you checked/treated for threadworms?

They can cause all the same symptoms.

Vulvovaginitis is not uncommon in young girls pre-puberty. It's an area of the body that's very sensitive and easily inflamed, once it gets irritated it became a vicious cycle of itching which causes damage which causes soreness and itching and round and round it goes.

Can you do periods of nappy/knicker free time to let air circulate and the skin to dry out. The skin being constantly damp can cause more irritation which is particularly difficult when nappies are involved.

Wash with very mild or no soap and make sure the skin is thoroughly dry before putting on a barrier cream like sudacrem.

This is the first time it’s Happened at night! I checked for threadworms and couldn’t see a thing. Majority of the time she is out of nappies when she sleeps at night. We had to put one on her to protect the bed as all the bedding is in her brothers room.

OP posts:
Original poster
Sh33tuC87 · 08/07/2024 02:50

Yourinmyspot · 07/07/2024 23:13

My daughter had this when she was around 5-6 on and off. Hers was worse at night. There wasn’t a lot that helped I’m sorry to say. Not wearing pants in bed just loose bottoms did help a bit and we would pour water on her genitals when she had a wee which helped with the pain.

We wash her with water every time she goes to the loo and thoroughly dry her out too. I’m just at a loss why it keeps happening when we always do the right thing!

OP posts:
Apileofballyhoo · 08/07/2024 03:25

Could it be thrush?

Original poster
Sh33tuC87 · 08/07/2024 03:58

Apileofballyhoo · 08/07/2024 03:25

Could it be thrush?

It's not red and throbbing. It's just the burning wee sensation. 😞

OP posts:
endofthelinefinally · 08/07/2024 04:47

I would treat for threadworms anyway and use a really good, plain barrier cream like Epaderm. The thick stuff in the tub, not the thinner cream in the pump. You can use it for washing too. It stops the wee having any contact with the skin.

Original poster
Sh33tuC87 · 08/07/2024 05:23

endofthelinefinally · 08/07/2024 04:47

I would treat for threadworms anyway and use a really good, plain barrier cream like Epaderm. The thick stuff in the tub, not the thinner cream in the pump. You can use it for washing too. It stops the wee having any contact with the skin.

Do I need to get that from the drs? Or can I get it over the counter?

OP posts:
DanceMumTaxi · 08/07/2024 05:41

You can get it over the counter, it’s called Ovex. Treat the whole family at the same time to be sure. One table now, another in 2 weeks. Make sure all bedding etc is washed on hot wash.

KeirSpoutsTwaddle · 08/07/2024 06:18

@Sh33tuC87 the water isn't for after a wee- you use a bottle to squirt water over the area while she weed so it's diluted immediately.

Or she can wee in the bath or shower with water on.

And lashings of an excellent barrier cream.

urrrgh46 · 08/07/2024 06:35

I'd treat with thrush cream 3 x a day and barrier cream in-between. The thrush cream will do no harm at all and there may well be candida overgrowth there too. When I have thrush I only ever get a burning sensation and sometimes itching. The barrier I would use is Sudacrem. I'm not medically trained but have 9 children and have experienced similar in my girls as babies and toddlers - I usually treat with thrush cream as a first port of call if there is any soreness mentioned around the vulva. Good luck!

Original poster
Sh33tuC87 · 08/07/2024 06:41

urrrgh46 · 08/07/2024 06:35

I'd treat with thrush cream 3 x a day and barrier cream in-between. The thrush cream will do no harm at all and there may well be candida overgrowth there too. When I have thrush I only ever get a burning sensation and sometimes itching. The barrier I would use is Sudacrem. I'm not medically trained but have 9 children and have experienced similar in my girls as babies and toddlers - I usually treat with thrush cream as a first port of call if there is any soreness mentioned around the vulva. Good luck!

When I queried this with the dr and pharmacist they were very quick to shoot me down!! So it's interesting to hear you saying this. A lot of other mummas have said similar but never really mentioned which one they used? Which one do you use? Canestan? And if so how much of it do you apply?

OP posts:
IShouldBeSleeping · 08/07/2024 06:42

Our daughter suffered around the same age. We found that bubble baths were aggravating it quite badly and switched to using dermol 600 in the bath. The doctor also prescribed an antiufungal/steroid cream that got us over the worst of it but sudocrem does the job o for ongoing maintenance.

Original poster
Sh33tuC87 · 08/07/2024 06:43

KeirSpoutsTwaddle · 08/07/2024 06:18

@Sh33tuC87 the water isn't for after a wee- you use a bottle to squirt water over the area while she weed so it's diluted immediately.

Or she can wee in the bath or shower with water on.

And lashings of an excellent barrier cream.

Sometimes it's soo hard to catch it. Both hubby and I work full time too (luckily he works from home) so have to depend on my husband for a lot of this. He isn't as comfortable around her genitalia area and the fact that he has to put sudo on is a bit much.

He washes her with the shower head when she has done and dries her thoroughly

OP posts:
Original poster
Sh33tuC87 · 08/07/2024 06:44

IShouldBeSleeping · 08/07/2024 06:42

Our daughter suffered around the same age. We found that bubble baths were aggravating it quite badly and switched to using dermol 600 in the bath. The doctor also prescribed an antiufungal/steroid cream that got us over the worst of it but sudocrem does the job o for ongoing maintenance.

Yeah we stopped bubble baths entirely! She hates showers but is slowly adjusting to it. I'll try that bath ointment and see how she goes. It's just very frustrating

OP posts:
Sdpbody · 08/07/2024 06:48

Our go to is thrush cream, the 2% one. It's cool so calms it down and it's into anti fungal.

urrrgh46 · 08/07/2024 06:50

@Sh33tuC87 just an average layer of 1% clotrimozole (canastan) 3 times a day. My current 3 yr old has been prone to thrush on her bottom from being a young baby and if she has soreness this is what I do for a couple days. I did medical microbiology and my dissertation was on candida 🤣

urrrgh46 · 08/07/2024 06:53

There's no reason to cut out baths if she doesn't like showers - just don't put bubble bath in!

Mynewnameis · 08/07/2024 06:55

My dd has been diagnosed with this. Gp referred to paediatrics with query for Lichen sclerosus but they said to treat as vv. She's been given hydrocortisone cream and I useful leaflet I'll link

Mynewnameis · 08/07/2024 06:59

Ps. The swab should have picked up thrush if it was that.
My gp also gave epimax cream to use as barrier and also for washing instead of soap.

Mynewnameis · 08/07/2024 07:01

Ah, maybe they tested her wee not swabbed for thrush. We are lucky to have an excellent gp practice so they have swabbed her twice before ruling out thrush.

Parkmybentley · 08/07/2024 07:06

There is no harm in treating for threadworm anyway. Ovex was about 8 quid a year ago.

mummatoI · 08/07/2024 07:07

My daughter I 4 and we get this about once a week, she's not potty trained at night, such a heavy sleeper that nothing I do works!!! - but we've found that using toilet wipes in the morning and taking her pull up off as soon as she wakes up has reduced the amount of times in a week it was happening, but, I also realized she was using a "cheap" shower gel, I changed her to child's farm, she washes herself so I've made it clear for her not to rub the soap in down there and it can cause irritation, we just use a clean flannel with just water on it and this seems to have helped calm everything down!

It still happens but it's certainly helped reduce the amount of times it happens in a week. We find sudocrem clears it up over night as well, just make sure you completely clean it off the next morning and no residue is left.

I feel your pain I really do!!

endofthelinefinally · 08/07/2024 08:54

Sh33tuC87 · 08/07/2024 05:23

Do I need to get that from the drs? Or can I get it over the counter?

Show quote history

Over the counter. Ditto the worm stuff.