Rather sensitive question - re. DD's 'front bottoms' ...

[Snowstorm]

... Is it normal for a young child's/girl's 'front bottom' to smell in any way at all? Or could it be an indication of some kind of infection that I should take her to the doctor about?

Don't know the answer but will be watching avidly as dd has been a bit whiffy ever since she was first potty trained

I think they can at times, especially if wearing nappies or in the hot weather. Best not to use scented things or soaps and let the air get to it if poss. I would imagine if any infection there would be discharge.

might just need a wipe with an unscented wipe? how old is she?

might have got a bit of poo stuck there? or if you do use scented things, don't. PLain water in bath, etc... Don't wash hair in bath, well at least don't let them sit in it for too long. I always wash dd's hair with shower, after bath has run out iyswim.

We don't use soap (we use the purest bubble bath I can find or aqueous cream as DD2 has quite dry skin) and I've started buying those little boxer short pants from Next for DD1 to allow plenty of ventilation (and also because they're really good for small inelegant girls wearing shortish skirts!) ... but it just seems odd for such young girls (aged 4 & 5) to be smelling at all.

In our case DD has been out of nappies for 18 months, Only use unscented stuff, plain bath water, No discharge just whiffy iyswim.

Soupkitchen - have you ever mentioned it to a doctor/nurse and, if so, did they say anything? I'm just not sure whether I'm a rubbish mum or not because I haven't immediately whisked them off to the doctors ... and it's been like this for a while now.

hmm not sure what to advise. Apart from keeping them clean and not using too much scented stuf.

I do remember experiencing this with dd tho, and in the end gently, had to have a look and gently wipe from to back. This cuased hilarity of course as she was ticklish. After that one time it went away. Girls do have a bit of discharge naturally, but maybe it wouldbe worth while to go and speak to your gp?

Have booked an appt. for DD2 to see the Dr on Friday, also she seems to be itching her bottom a bit and it might be my imagination or she might be peeing a bit more than normal ... all adds up to needing to take her to see a pro I think and I shall be positive and not assume that it automatically means months ahead of trying to get a 'clean' pee sample (which I never achieved in 4 attempts (that's 4 round trips to/from the surgery) the year before last when one was needed for something I can't remember!

If something is up with DD2 then I'll know to hoik DD1 in too.

Thank you for your responses in any case, "it's good to talk" ... or to woffle on and on as in my case

I will catch up with you on Fri then Snowstorm, Please et me know what the Dr says.

I must be a bad mother as had never considered taking DD to gp as never seem at all bothered and tbh thought it was more my problem

one more thought- threadworms?

My DD used to complain or soreness and irritation and lo and behold we once managed to catch a blighter having a crawl around. They can get into girls' front bottoms and as they only come out at night, you might not see any,but they could cause infection etc.

girlnextdoor ... thank you for that repulsive image!!!

SoupKitchen - will do my very best remember to get back to you on this one. Good friend of mine came over yesterday and her daughter has the same sort of problem ... so she wants to know too!

Can't even believe I am posting it - thank god for name changing...

I can remember from being quite small that I was aware I 'smelt' down there. I used to get a white cheesy substance that gathered around my clitoris area. My mum never used to specifically clean that area when I was in the bath, she would just use a flannel to clean my bottom generally. Maybe you need to clean in and around the clitoris area if there is sweat and gunk gathering there?

Obv, once I hit puberty I was aware to clean myself and the smell disappeared.

HTH!

Snowstorm- seriously, if her bottom is itchy too, why don't you dose the whole family against worms and do all the laundry too-it's a pain but it's the only way- and see what happens?

If she HAS got a discharge or smell, it could be by worms coming from the back bottom into her front bottom and bringing bacteria with them.

They are Sooooooo common- I think they say 60% of kids have them.

ohmygodhowembarrassing - thank goodness for name changes so that people like you can give their views/experiences and help people!! I clean every part of their bottoms - the front bit, very gently with water and cotton wool - have done ever since they first got their red bottoms which occassionally seemed to itch and which I was told was thrush and given canesten cream for.

There is no discharge, just occassionally they get red areas around their bottom holes and they become a bit sore if I'm not careful when I wash them in the bath. Neither child has either mentioned their bottoms being sore (apart from if I'm a bit rough with the sponge by mistake) or itchy but I've seen DD2 itch herself now and again.

So, either they have recurring thrush OR it's something else and I was led to believe that thrush doesn't smell. So, either it's very common for young girls to be a bit whiffy but nobody talks about it OR, they have something else wrong with them.

In any case, I appreciate your posts and girlnextdoor I will go and have a look at DD2 with a torch tonight (gulp ... dear god please don't let me see anything ... and if I do see something then let me handle it in a grown-up way and not scream and faint ...) but I think it's also not a bad thing for me to take her to the doctor on Friday, just to be sure.

When I was a kid I had threadworm a couple of times and distinctly recall them making me itch during the day, so I don't think they are nocturnal...how would they know? it's always dark to them! sorry...being serious now. They are there all the time I'm sure, not just at night.

My Dd, I noticed today has a discharge too, but no smell...always having to clean poo from her front bits and she hates me doing it, even though I gently roll the wipe to the side. UGH! Should I do the GP thing for this?

Threadworms do come out at night- believe me! They might be there daytime too, but the classic advice is to make kids wear pants/kncikers at night under their pjs to "trap" the worms, and even sometimes wear gloves ( cotton ones) to stop them scratching and transferring the eggs to their fingers, when they would swallow them again.

The female worms come out when it's night time to lay their eggs- it's part of their life cycle.

Absolutely! I didn't say they don't come out at night, just that they don't exclusively come out at night. I was told as a child sufferer to wear knickers in bed to stop me from scratching at night, therefore getting their eggs under your nails->spreading them by then touching things in the morning or worse UGH! putting fingers to the mouth! Just as you say gnd.
So far, my Ds hasn't had them, luckily. Long may that continue!

I'm no good at links, but have just looked at www.patient.co.uk

There is a very detailed feature there on threadworms and how to treat them. The article does say they mainly come out at night when the body is warm.

The treatment is as I described etc etc.

You can also try the "sticky tape" test which is explained on those pages.

I had thrush when I was a little girl. I can remember getting the same symptoms that I do now, but my Mum just treated me with nappy rash cream - I think she was too embarrassed to take me to the doctors.

My dd (3 yrs old) has been scratching and peeing more than usual, and also wetting her pants a bit, which is v unlike her. Then she had 2 days of high fevers, and I took her to the doctors, and she has been diagnosed w a urinary tract infection and is on anti-biotics. Have de-wormed her just in case, but your dd could have something similar, judging by itching and weeing. You might want to ask gp to do wee test (give dd a large juice a half hour beforehand for wee on demand...)

Am going to ask the doctor about just about everything - good idea about the large juice 'orangina' - hadn't thought about that!

Do threadworm/worms move? Peered at DD's bottom last night and caught sight of a couple of teeny tiny little slivers of what looked like bean sprouts but even with a good torch and my glasses on, I couldn't really see what they were - remenent of loo paper or not - must buy a magnifying glass soon ... In any case, the little tiny things didn't move so that's my confusion!

I would just worm your household with a family pack of Ovex or similar!

Snowstorm I just had my dd at the doctors today with an itchy, very red and slightly whiffy (smelled like smelly feet) front bot.

Doc took a swab - poor wee mite - and prescribed some Canesten with steroid in it. Will get results next week of swab.

I felt V guilty as she's had this on and off for a few weeks (I even posted on here and didn't follow wiser heads who said I should get her in to the GP).

So you're doing the right thing. Hope the los feel better soon

Thank you squeaver!

I'm currently thinking that DD2 has threadworms (DAM IT) and possibly thrush ... hopefully the doctor will be incredibly nice but thorough tomorrow in order for me to sort these issues out for once and for all.

My DD, now 8 has suffered with thrush on and off since she was 4. She drinks plenty of cranberry and we always have canesten to hand.

She too has had vaginal swabs and its an awful thing for a child to have to expereince.

She has also had threadworms and it sounds like your has them too.