5 year old with unpleasant vaginal odor

[e&tsmom]

So, my DD will be 5 in a month and has, sadly, had issues with a sensitive vagina. This is not surprising ot me as I have had issues myself. So, when she was 3 she had a burning sensation, tried a thousand different soaps, soaks, creams, and finally now have a nice soap that does the trick (poofy organics unscented baby mild for anyone interested). Now, she has developed a kinda stong, unpleasant odor. She showers everyday or every other day, sometimes take baths, she wears high cut undies to get some air circulating, she does wear tights and I know that is not the best, but she takes them off after preschool. She pats herself dry after she pees and still asks us to wipe after she poops because she doesnt want to get "dirty." (We told her she has to start doing it herslef when she is 5, though, and she is fine with that). So, it is not a cleanliness issue.

Now, I dont know what to do. She was sitting on the floor in front of my DS who is 3. They both had their legs crossed and were playing a game and my son got very upset and said DDs dress smelled bad and she had to take it off. It wasnt her dress, sadly. I dont want her to be embarrassed about this and we have not brought it up to her, except that she needs to be sure she changes her undies frequently and washes well in the shower - she does both all the time.

Any thoughts on how to help with this. I have never really had, that I can remember, an odor issue and dont really know if there are any remedies. I just dont wnt her to go to kindergarten and have someone notice or make her fell badly. Help!!

[sapphire_chan]

Vaginosis? Yeast? Have you tried a probiotic supplement and reduced grains and sugars and seen if that helps?

[blessedwithboys]

have you tried foregoing soap altogether?

[caiesmommy]

I've had different vag issues all my life sadly

I tend to lean towards the pp poster that said yeast. I find if I eat a lot of bread/sugars ect, that I'm prone to yeast infections. I would really get her on a probiotic and get rid of the yeast/sugars. Guarentee it will help

[snoopy5386]

I would take her to the ped and make sure she doesn't have some sort of infection before I tried to do anything at home.

[e&tsmom]

Thanks. I asked the ped and he didnt say much about it. He said to limit baths (just showers) and if she did take a bath then not to use any soap until the end. We pretty much do that. We did try not using soap at all when she was habing her burning issues (no UTI) and it helped. But, then the odor came and that is why we have tried soap again. It is super easy on the skin though and rated a zero on EWG.

I totally thought about the grains and sugar (helped with my own yeast problem) and the truth is because I dont eat much of that my family doesnt either. They get sugar from fruit and sometimes honey and maple syrup, but not much of that. unfortunately, she does go to daycare 3 afternoons a week and I know she gets a ton of jumk food there. Cant help that though.

As for the probiotic - great sugestion. Now that I htink about it, I give her somehting called a dutch puff every morning for breakfast with fruit. It is basically yogurt, whole wheat flour (grains - I forgot - I dont eat it but she loves it), and eggs. It sits overnight and I bake it in the morning. Would the probiotics in the yogurt still count after being baked in the oven on 400? If not, I guess I'll try to get some into her another way. Is there anyhting else I could try other than yogurt.

I think I'll call the ped again. He did take a look, but maybe he can check to see if it is yeast for sure. Problem is, I dont know how they check and I dont want her to really be examined there or prodded. I mean, if he looks and all it is fine, I just dont want her to be uncomfortable, ya know.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[LemonPie]

Is it possible that she put something inside her vagina?

[pigpokey]

We use baths and no soap. I would think almost everyone would have a noticeable odor at least some of the time after skipping a bath one day.

[One_Girl]

Originally Posted by snoopy5386

I would take her to the ped and make sure she doesn't have some sort of infection before I tried to do anything at home.

I agree with this. You probably don't want to let an infection go for a long time while you try home remedies because some infections cause a lot of damage and can be very painful. If you would be more comfortable with a female pediatrician doing the exam the I think you should ask for one.

[Fujiko]

Are you using soaps inside the folds of the vulva (ie mucous membranes)? That can cause the natural flora to get out of whack and "stinky" bacteria can overgrow, as well as other things like yeast. The balance between all of the types of microorganisms is delicate and soap will disrupt it, no matter how "mild". Soap is soap.

Every time I wash down there with soap (which is never, now), I get a yeast infection. It could (theoretically, anyway) go the other way and cause a bacterial infection (vaginosis). Now I only rinse well with water only inside my vulva, and wash where hair grows with soap, and I haven't had any problems since.

You'll want to correct the floral imbalance, if any, that your daughter has. Definitely consult with your HCP. If she were older I'd suggest looking into inserting cloves of garlic into the vagina (my midwife's go-to cure for vaginal weirdness), but I don't think that would be appropriate for a 5-year-old.

[e&tsmom]

So, first off, thanks for all your responses. I really appreciate them.

I called DDs ped last night and he said that an odor was not normal and to have her soak in a clean, warm bath for a while and then out a tiny amount of neosporin on the area. I was not overly thrilled with the idea, but decided to try it anyway. He said if there was still an odor in a couple of days to come in and get her checked out. This morning was the first morning when she took her underpants off and they didnt smell like anything!!!!!! I am REALLY hoping this is helping. Cross your fingers for her!

[Starflower]

I just noticed this thread. Glad you talked to the doctor and that things seem better.

Probiotics can be taken as a chewable tablet or also as a powder that you can sprinkle on food and mix in, like applesauce or such. Just in case you still wanted to do the probiotics. Might help along with whatever your doc is recommending.

[Autumn Breeze]

Originally Posted by pigpokey

We use baths and no soap. I would think almost everyone would have a noticeable odor at least some of the time after skipping a bath one day.

My kids only shower every other day unless they're super active outside and get sweaty or they actually smell. It takes the 4 yr old more than a day to smell. The 8 yr old is just now starting to smell on day 2, and it's only if I've got my nose to his head that I smell it.

Glad you called the doctor and his advice is seeming to helping. I hope you can find the cause so that you don't have to keep seeking treatment for her for that.

[Ellien C]

Originally Posted by e&tsmom

I called DDs ped last night and he said that an odor was not normal....

I second the no soap, just water idea, but I also have a quote from the Vagina Monologues. How appropriate for V-day.



It's supposed to smell like PUSSY!!





(When I saw it, Carol Kane screeched it and it was awesome.)