OT, but Labial Adhesions?

[sleet76]

Hi all,

My DD (3.5 yo) has a supposedly full labial adhesion. It hasn't always been like this--I think it stemmed from when she was really raw and irritated last spring. She's been potty trained since about 19 months old, not in diapers at night, and pretty independent in bathing. So, I haven't been giving things a good look down there in a long time.

Anyway, it was noticed at a dr appointment today, and she was prescribed some estrogen cream to loosen it up and help it separate. I've read that the labia will separate itself in either a few months to a year, or at least at puberty with no help. But that it is important to separate it earlier with treatment (estrogen cream) if the labia is fully closed because there could be refluxing of urine causing infection. If this is happening, there should also be dribbling into undies when standing after urinating, but we have none of that. So, I'm not sure what to think.

Why I am posting here is that I really appreciate the outside the box thinking about circ here, and was hoping that someone from that line of thought would have info for me, or somewhere to send me for info. I'm really NOT looking for the info that you read at DrGreene.com or iVilliage.com if there really is something else out there (hence my posting here, not on the regular parenting board). Putting estrogen cream on my baby isn't something I'm really looking forward to doing if I don't have to.

Thanks in advance!

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Personally if it isnt so bad that urine has trouble coming out I would leave it alone. Especially since she is 3yo and messing around down there to much to me isnt a good idea.

I am surprised tho that your Dr checked down there on her. My dd stopped having checks there at a year old.

[sleet76]

Thanks, Melissa. I'm a little surprised that she checked, too. We recently moved here, and this was her first visit with this Dr.--maybe why? I have liked this Dr. with my son's intact penis, she seems to know what she's talking about and doing (or barely mentioning like it's no big deal and NOT doing, really!). All the more confusing for me...

[Plummeting]

I say leave it alone if you aren't having problems. The cream only works as long as you keep using it. They gave it to us for DD because they noticed adhesions really early - somewhere between 3 and 6 months, but I honestly don't remember exactly when. I didn't use it because she was having no problems. Then the adhesions got worse - maybe around 9 months - and I couldn't see any opening at all. We were doing elimination communication, so she was using the potty and she was having the issue with dribbling after pottying, so I thought I should go ahead and do it.

After only three very careful applications of vanishingly small amounts, she started to develop breasts. I used it long enough for the adhesions to separate enough for me to see a hole and for the dribbling problem to stop. And two or three weeks later it was back to square one. So then I did it again. And two or three weeks after stopping it closed again. So then I figured that she didn't seem to be having any problems because of it, so I left it alone, because I was not comfortable with my infant developing breasts. It wasn't so much the breasts bothering me, but the fact that breast development signals some pretty major changes going on inside the body that just shouldn't be happening to a baby.

I left it alone and she never had any problems. I don't recall for certain when the adhesions separated (without treatment) but I think it was about 17 months or so. They separated slowly before that, but just a little at a time. I think they really overstate the dangers of adhesions and understate the dangers of the estrogen cream.

[USAmma]

Originally Posted by MCatLvrMoMof2

I am surprised tho that your Dr checked down there on her. My dd stopped having checks there at a year old.

My dd's peds either checks them or have me check them behind closed doors in the exam room every time they get a routine physical. He says he gets a several cases of it per year. For some reason more of his patients have that in this state than in the other state where he used to practice.

[bburnie2]

My dd had the same issues- but they were caught when she was still under a year old. The prescription was written to apply the cream 2-3 times a day at diaper changes- but we only did it once a day for a week. And then after that pretty randomly (maybe once every 4-5 days). We did that for a few months and never had another issue. Dd is 7 now, so obviously I don't check her, but on the rare occasion she has said her vagina hurt I ask if I can look and she does all the touching stuff. I look just "in case" they have come back, but they havn't. Usually she will be a bit red b/c she didn't wipe well for a few trips to the bathroom....

If I were you I would use the cream- since its a "full" labia adhesion. I am assuming that means the labia is either completly stuck to the outter lips or is stuck together- closing off the vaginal opening. If it wasn't a "full" adhesion, I wouldn't use the cream if your not comfortable doing so. Or you could use it hit and miss, like I did.

Another idea: since the adhesions form as a result of low estrogen levels, could you increase your dds diet in food that are rich in estrogesn, such as soy products? (assuming you don't already use any/much soy)

Beth

[sapphire_chan]

If irritation is a trigger, maybe using switching to cloth toilet paper would help?

[eepster]

This is the first time I've heard of labial adhesions which leaves me wondering whether it was something no one ever thought about back when we were little girls.

Before using the cream I would find out what people did before estrogen cream existed, and ask your gynocologist or midwifes opinion.

[sagewinna]

My Dr. and the research I read all said leave it alone. My dd has a full adhesion and has since about 6 months old, she is 3 now.

My niece is 15, and had a full adhesion until puberty. After a few rounds of cream that would open things up, then having it close again, her mom decided to leave it alone. Everything works fine now.

[sleet76]

Thanks, everyone! I really appreciate your input. I still feel uncertain what to do, but sice DD is holding really still for me, I decided to put the least amount possible exactly in the right place. We'll give this a shot for a week or two. If it doesn't open up easily or stay open, I'll just leave it unless she develops problems. If it does open, I'll apply some kind of barrier cream for a few months to lessen the chance of re-adhesion. It's been three days, and it looks as if it is starting to open up already.