5 yo DD with very red vulva - says it doesn't hurt and refuses to let me even look at it....

[fettle]

My 5yo DD had a urine infection over a year ago, but hated the medicine so much she immediately says that it doesn't hurt when I mention she looks a bit sore down there or she's going to the toilet 3-4 times an hour. She goes through weeks when she wees very very frequently and has wet the bed a couple of times this week.

I don't know if a red vulva area is always a sign of something - whether some sudocreme would help? But she absolutely hates that being put on too.

Also is it normal for her not to want me to look at the area - the only reason I saw it was red was as she was climbing out of the bath this evening - and she got herself into a real state and really didn't want me to have a look. She only agreed if I promised no medicine, no cream and not to take her to the doctors.

Any thoughts? Thanks

Sorry but she needs to see a doctor. There are all sorts of nasty infections she could have down there so I wouldn't put it off. Could you get her pills instead if she hates medication?

bubbles in the bath? sometimes my dd gets a bit sore if shes had too much soap near the area, ie a big bubbly bath? or sometimes if shes rubbed to hard with toilet paper when drying her bits after a wee?

My 5yr old dd also gets red vulva sometimes, and says it doesn't hurt - I suspect poor wiping, and/or self exploration!

One time she was sore, it was obvious - she would wince when weeing, and it turned out she had a strep infection from scratching a spot of some sort (molluscum, possibly) which needed ABs. But it really was impossible for her to hide the discomfort, that time.

Yes, I think its pretty normal for her to not want to have her genitals looked at - dd sometimes minds hugely, other times will happily show me anything that is sore, it just depends on how she is feeling at that moment. And she hates sudocreme, or canesten, being put on too - or any of her eczema creams anywhere else, for that matter.

I would keep an eye on her, which I'm sure you will anyway, and see if it goes away in a day or so or not - if not, I'm afraid you'll probably have to take her to the doctor. I have found one GP in our practice, an older woman, who makes dd feel v safe and unthreatened when being examined - she's very down to earth - and that helps hugely.

Good luck

I'm sure you've probably tried this, but have you asked her if she wants to put the cream on herself? My 5-yo DD occasionally gets a red vulva (for the same reasons as Elibean's or if the weather's been hot) and she is more amenable if I let her put on the sudocreme herself.

Thanks for all your replies.

I will keep an eye on it and try the self creaming option!