3 y.o. complaining that her vagina hurts. :( Any ideas?

[Snowflake777]

DD has complained a few times recently that her "vagina hurts on the inside" (her words). She'll say it maybe once or twice a week, crying a little and obviously in pain, then a short while later she seems fine again. If I ask her whether it hurts lots or just a bit, she says "just a bit".

We suspected a UTI about a month ago (when she first started complaining about it) but a urine sample came up clean. The doctor also took a quick look down there and couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.

Obviously I'd really like to avoid doing anything more invasive if possible. She's not in any major distress and seems well most of the time. Still, it worries me. :(

I'm taking her back to the doctor this afternoon with another urine sample, just in case.

Any ideas what else this might be?

[GoBecGo]

Thrush?

Foreign object (self-inserted if she's been into exploration)?

Abuse (only on the list because it's a possibility, though i'm sure you've already thought of it!)?

[Snowflake777]

Originally Posted by GoBecGo 

Thrush?

Foreign object (self-inserted if she's been into exploration)?

Abuse (only on the list because it's a possibility, though i'm sure you've already thought of it!)?

Thanks for the suggestions!

I don't think it's thrush - there's no sign of any irritation and she's not complaining of itching.

Foreign object - I don't think so, but I guess it's not impossible. Eek!

Abuse - no, I have absolutely zero reason to suspect anyone of that, and even if there was, DD is never alone with anyone long enough for anything like that to happen.

[Greenlea]

Originally Posted by Snowflake777 

Foreign object - I don't think so, but I guess it's not impossible. Eek!

You never know.  My mom caught my sister trying to put a battery in her vagina when she was around 3-4. 

Maybe its a rash from not wiping too well?  My other sister used to get that a lot too.

[Dandelionkid]

It could be pinworms. My 2 yr old dd had pinworms migrate to her vagina and cause a lot of pain. With her it happened mostly at night although apparently pinworm activity has been know to happen during the day. It took a minute to see it in there. Take a minute to look tonight.

[Snowflake777]

Thank you all for the replies. Foreign objects, pinworms...yikes!!

I took DD to the doctor today and her urine sample came out clean. The doctor is sending it off for culturing tomorrow, just to be on the safe side.

She mentioned that if DD hasn't had a bowel movement for a few days (which is the case) then that can cause some bladder & urethral pain. She didn't think it was likely to be anything serious, probably just some irritation. I'll take DD again if she continues to complain about it.

Fingers crossed it's nothing.

[butterfly_mommy]

Could she be exploring with her fingers with too long fingernails and causing micro scratches? This can hurt on and off.

[mama_y_sol]

nm

Edited by mama_y_sol - 5/25/11 at 4:07pm

[mariag]

I would not worry too much that it is anything serious, but try to do things that help with general vaginal discomfort (which, I have learned, is not that uncommon in girls).  Have her wear only !00% cotton undies, loose fitting clothes, no undies at night (air flow to the area is good),  soak in a plain water bath for 10-15 min a day (no soap, bubbles etc...) make sure she isn't wiping/bathing with soap directly onto her vagina, make sure she is wiping well (no buildup in folds) and lastly, as your dr already told you, it might actually be a constipation issue.

good luck!

[EviesMom]

I have one other question/suggestion, which can sort of go along with the not-wiping-well thing--does she wear stockings/tights/leggings? When DD went through the "only skirts!" stage, whereby she only wanted to wear skirts, despite it being a freezing cold winter, we required thick stockings for warmth. This apparently made her rashy because of lack of airflow. The fact that 3-4 year olds don't always wipe well can add to it.

DS is 3 and makes seemingly-random complaints about his private parts hurting. First question we ask now is always "Were you playing with it?" and the answer is ALWAYS, "Well, yes, a little bit." I imagine the same could happen for a girl just from self-exploration. Can't hurt to ask!

[LaughingHyena]

Maybe it's time for the next size up in underwear. It took me a while to think it could be her clothes when DD first started complaining but it seemed to fix things. Now it's always on my list to check.

I agree with the not wiping too, DD has a habit of rushing and either not doing a proper job or leaving bits of tissue behind. A warm bath, no bubbles and she's generally OK.

[Snowflake777]

Thanks again for the replies. It could well be the clothes or not wiping herself well enough, or both.

[Mom2M]

Originally Posted by EviesMom 

DS is 3 and makes seemingly-random complaints about his private parts hurting. First question we ask now is always "Were you playing with it?" and the answer is ALWAYS, "Well, yes, a little bit." I imagine the same could happen for a girl just from self-exploration. Can't hurt to ask!

This could be it. DD started complaining of pain sometimes when she was about 4 but it was a little different because her skin would be kind of red and look sore. I finally realized that she might be doing it herself and asked her if she had been rubbing or anything like that and she said yes. So I told her she needed to be gentle and it would be ok. After that, when she told me it hurt I would ask her if she had been rubbing too hard and she usually said yes, maybe.
I was really surprised because I never noticed her doing it at all!

[snarky]

For my daughter the problem was the bubble bath. Once we got rid of the bubble bath and reverted to plain water the pain was gone. 

[mom2happy]

My DD and DS would complain of this sometimes if they skipped a day of pooping.

DD used to complain that her's was hurting and when I asked if she was playing with it, she said yes.

She would also get sore from not wiping dry. I would make a shallow bath, dry her completely and put a little A&D ointment on and it was fine right away.

Sometimes it's hard for them to be able to explain exactly what area has the pain.

[sunnygir1]

My dd has struggled with vaginal discomfort, but for her it is generally red between her labia.  She does not do a great job of patting dry after peeing, especially at daycare.  I do a bath with baking soda in it.  I do not put any soap or shampoo or bubble bath in the vast majority of her baths, because they make the irritation worse.  You might not see anything from a yeast infection, so it wouldn't hurt to ease up on sweets and add in a probiotic supplement -- this would also help with a bladder infection, although it sounds like you've ruled that out.

[onyxravnos]

it could also be from not washing well during baths. teach her how to open and wash her vulva well during baths.

[NikonMama]

Originally Posted by snarky 

For my daughter the problem was the bubble bath. Once we got rid of the bubble bath and reverted to plain water the pain was gone. 

I agree with this also.  When I was a little girl, all bubble baths would make me hurt down there.  It didn't itch, it just hurt.  Not wiping myself (I remember sometimes being in a hurry as a really small girl and I didn't wipe at all) made it feel the same way. 
 

[mckownwife]

or it could be from the type of soap u use... i remember when i was young, i would take baths and clean myself down there, i guess the  soapy water gets inside ...it burns...it helps a lil when i rinse off but it would still hurt inside even after because of the soapy water!

[mommy68]

possible yeast infection?

Not sure. My daughter is 9 and has had similar issues before. She would get irritated if I didn't rinse out the bathtub well enough after I had just cleaned it or if we used a certain soap or bubbles (can't use those). I now rinse my tub religiously after I wash it and I rinse last with cold water because that seems to get rid of all the remaining residue from the cleaner I use.