4yr old with pain in vagina at night

[Unicorn34]

Not sure if anyone has experienced this but my granddaughter sometimes wakes up with a pain in her vaginal area, holding it and crying in pain. My daughter has looked closely at that area and can see nothing - no soreness, spots, discharge or smell. It has happened about 3 times now in the last 6 months and, after settling with calpol and cuddles, she will return to sleep and have no after effects in the morning. It happened again last night after she had been asleep for about 3 hours.

My daughter has requested a medical check with the GP but I just wondered if anyone could shed any light. It sounds like a cramping of the muscles - is this possible in a nearly 4 yr old? (I put 4 as she will be in 3 weeks).

Many thanks

Classic symptoms of worms

My DDs were exactly like this when they had worms

If it was worms, wouldn't it happen every night until they're treated?

This is happening as one-offs, maybe a month or so apart.

Could be a mild bladder infection

It's quite young but could also be growing pains. Dd suffered quite a lot with this between about age 5 and 8. She did also have a few utis and had vulva vaginitis (bacteria and infection in the vulva - common in small girls especially if they have had infections) but long after they cleared up the stabbing pain.continued off and on.

With the thing my child has, it’s the same thing. Can be fine for months at a time then a flare up. Completely randomly. And then sometimes the ‘bum pain’ for several nights in a row. Did you look at Proctalgia? With mine, it’s muscle spasms not worms.

Vulvovaginitis - threadworms is one cause but not the only one. My daughter struggles with it. We found the advice in here helpful.

www.cuh.nhs.uk/patient-information/vulvovaginitis-in-children-information-for-parents-and-carers/

My daughter gets vulvavaginitis and it causes these symptoms. My GP said it's quite common in girls of this age.

Ensuring she's had a good clean every night and morning including around the clitoris which seems to be the bit that my daughter misses when wiping after going to the toilet. We put sudocrem on before bed for a few days and give ibuprofen if she wakes in the night.

I'm really sorry to say this, and hopefully I'm way, way off the mark, but it needs to be considered in this kind of situation.

Are there any older boys or men in the house? Could it be possible any of them might be interfering with her?

Please don't feel you need to answer this question here, but do have a serious think about it. It's more common than people realise.

Hi. Of course this would be something to be aware of, and I'm pleased to say that there are no men or boys in the home, apart from my grandson who is 8 yrs old and is 100% not any cause, my daughter is a single mum of sorts (husband away from home).

My DD4 was like this a few months ago, no discharge and only a bit of redness. It would happen maybe once a week at most. We took her to the GP and they thought it was this- https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/patient-information/vulvovaginitis-in-children-information-for-parents-and-carers/