Anal tear in toddler-what do I do?

[fizzbuzz]

Dd 2;4 has been 5 dirty nappies a day

The other night when I changed her, noticed she had a small tear round her bum. Today when she did another dirty nappy, the tear was bigger, and she winced and said it hurt when I tried to clean her

What do you do with these things? No blood, and yesterday it seemed to have gone. Is there anything to use or do I have to go to docs?

I would see a doctor because it's likely they'll prescribe a mild stool softener to help it heal - I think you can use a small dose of fybogel but it does say "use on medical advice only" for children under the age of 6.

Mind you if you can't see it and it's no longer hurting her, it might have healed?

She hasn't got constipation at all, just too much pooing

Can you use hydrocortisone

is it runny like diarrhoea?

do not use hydrocortisone on an open wound.

Nope, just normal soft pooh consistancy....

lots of toddlers get something called constipation with overflow, where there's compacted poo in the rectum and runny stuff that sometimes leaks out. obviously trying to pass the hard bit could tear. I'd definitely see your GP who may refer you to a paediatrician.

see gp anyway, but try putting vaseline around anus, makes for a smoother passage

I don't think she has any constipation at all, but she has had a tummy upset about a week ago.

This has gone, but she has done loads of pooh since, and I think it is an amount thing...too much action so to speak

Will it heal on it's own?

it might heal on its own but it's really worth a GP having a look

(also the softening will help with the healing - otherwise she might clam up if she gets pain with "normal" consistency poos, before it heals)

I had an anal tear (from a 40 mile per hour enema aka banana boating!), and wasn't prescribed anything other than a local anaesthetic gel to use when I needed a poo. Not sure it would work on a baby as you don't know when they're going to do a poo.

Don't think you can use those anaesthetic things on little ones

how's she today fizzbuzz?

She seems fine. 2 nappies (lovely) witn no probs, so it must have been quite a little tear