Help for my friend's 4 yo daughter with adhesions

[jennybean0722]

Okay, so I know this forum is mostly for boys, but since circ'ing applies to girls too...

My girlfriend is at a loss for what to do about her daughter. She has had adhesions on and off since birth. They put her on an estrogen cream to seperate the labia. Only now the doc says it is a problem b/c they keep sticking (and growing) back together and that the only solution may be surgery!!!! What?!

Now, I don't know much about adhesions, but I hear they happen fairly often in girls. And when he says surgery, does he mean a type of circumcision??? I would think any alteration would be.

Anyway, there has to be another solution. Why can't they just keep applying the estrogen cream (and teach their daughter too?). My girlfriend is pretty educated on the subject of adhesions, but she is definitely mainstream, and in our state/town, if anything thing is ever wrong with a child they always recommend cutting something.

Help!

Jenny

[perspective]

Originally Posted by jennybean0722

Okay, so I know this forum is mostly for boys, but since circ'ing applies to girls too...

My girlfriend is at a loss for what to do about her daughter. She has had adhesions on and off since birth. They put her on an estrogen cream to seperate the labia. Only now the doc says it is a problem b/c they keep sticking (and growing) back together and that the only solution may be surgery!!!! What?!

Now, I don't know much about adhesions, but I hear they happen fairly often in girls. And when he says surgery, does he mean a type of circumcision??? I would think any alteration would be.

Anyway, there has to be another solution. Why can't they just keep applying the estrogen cream (and teach their daughter too?). My girlfriend is pretty educated on the subject of adhesions, but she is definitely mainstream, and in our state/town, if anything thing is ever wrong with a child they always recommend cutting something.

Help!

Jenny

First question, just to clear things up for me and everyone else. Was this girl circumcised? And if so, what exactly was removed? And if not, what would cause it adhere?

[jennybean0722]

Good question. She was never circumcised, but they seem to think one of two thing cause the adhesions. She often rubs the area alot, either by herself or on the couch (way to personal, I know) -- b/c she says it feels good. They never wanted to make a big deal of it since they didn't want her to think masturbation was bad. Only now, they may think she may have had some infections that they didn't caught, or maybe the adhesions were bothering her daughter and that is why she was rubbing (or maybe itching) them. And then I guess it just goes in cycles, the micro tears caused from itching/adhesions just grows right back to adhesions.

Does this help?

[tuansprincess]

Well - if they are not affecting her ability to pee I would assume that as she matures and her body produces more hormones that they will resolve on their own - just like a boys'. Plus - as long as they don't hurt or cause problems with urination, her dd can wait until she is older and able to decide what she wants done. If they haven't resoled on their own by then that is. It sounds as though the body keps "re-adhereing" as a means of healing. Just my $.02

[thixle]

:

It IS a hormonal process (which is why the estrogen cream makes them come apart, but it grows back when you stop applying cream)...
MOST labial adhesions resolve at or around puberty. They are normal, normal, normal. Unless it is affecting her ability to urinate or menstruate (which happens occasionally), surgery is not necessary
And yes, if she has surgery, adhesions can reform-- or form all on their own-- from the simple act of surgery!!!! They would not "circ" per say, but will slit the labia (think like a mid-line episiotomy), and could possibly "trim" the labia as well (which would be more like male circ)... I just don't see two raw surfaces from surgery having less of a chance of adhesions or scarring.

If she is having reoccurent infections, she needs to have a culture to determine yeast, bacteria, etc. And be treated appropriately for them... not be cut up. But yes, please, research vaginal adhesions and ask your friend to consider how the adhesions are affecting the child's ability to function. I think re-adhering is definately a way for the body to naturally heal. And yes, my dd had slight adhesions until about 6 months ago.

[jennybean0722]

Thanks guys. I knew I could find help from you. I'm glad my girlfriend even told me about it! I can tell she is having alot of second thoughts. I'll tell her what you told me and tell her to get a 2nd opinion from another doc!

[foreskin friendly]

My daughter (now 1yr) STILL has labial adhesions.
She HASN'T had any infections/always had quick soiled diapers changed/obviously wears loose baby clothing...no reason other than alot of hip/baby wearing time, that I can think of that may have caused them-but they seemed to be a little worse with swimming at my parents...

Sometimes they just happen. ...and then speaking with my mom, she said I had them too... only difference between the two is that my mom said she used PREMARIN (spell?) (which is the estrogen cream) and it worked after a few times...

I WON'T use that on my daughter (esp. after knowing how it is made...they keep these poor animals continuously locked up and impregnated..once they give birth, they slaughter the foal and get the mama prego again...
PREMARIN = Pregnant Mare Urine ... from what I understand... this is where they get the good stuff to make the cream.)/

ANYWAY... after researching it (freaking out after my DS was forcibly retracted and wanting to do everything in my power to educate myself about my daughters' condition to avoid a similar mishap with any of her docs).....and of course coming to this wonderful bunch here at CAC...

We decided we are not going to intervene - at all... she has no problem peeing right now, and the labial adhesions (which almost cover her entire opening except for enough to pee...) should release once she starts going through puberty (that seems to be the result for most people that JUST WAIT)... just a matter of HORMONES!...

Tell her to wait... or USE THE CREAM...but, NO SURGERY!! NO SURGERY!!!

[foreskin friendly]

oops! posted previous post again-computer is acting up again-yikes!

[zerby]

My DD had labial adhesions that completely obstructed her urethera, causing her to have urinary reflux. Only then did I allow her to undergo surgery. I know that she is the exception, not the rule, and I wish that she never needed the surgery . I work as an assistant to a group of anti circ urologists. Is she still voiding without UTI's? In that case, I would not worry at all!

[Ann-Marita]

My dd had adhesions. One (very mainstream) doc recommended Premarin. I put it on her once, and decided that I just couldn't do that. So I did nothing.

Then I found an "open to alternatives" doc. He said do nothing unless she can't pee. And if she got to puberty without it loosening, then we could talk WITH HER to determine a course of action.

They would vary some over time. And it did seem like the adhesions would sort of close up after repeated exposure to chlorinated pool water. I figured it was dd's body's way of protecting itself.

DD's adhesions cleared up by the time she was 6-8 with no further action on our part.

(Could the regular application of the hormone creme to the op's friend's dd's vulva perhaps have alerted her to the fact that stimulation of the area feels good? And then that knowledge might have led to the frequent rubbing of the area.)