I have no real concrete answers or anything, but from threads I've seen on this before, it seems like the two treatment options are manually ripping them apart (ow! holy freaking trauma, batman!) and hormone creams (dangerous stuff to mess with!). I guess I'd be asking WHY they insist on treating it immediately. Do they think it's somehow endangering her right now? She can pee, right? Do they think it's going to get worse? Do they think it's going to stay that way forever? Are they talking about doing actual surgery? I would be strongly opposed to them doing that now, when it can't be adequately explained to her what's going on. You don't want one of her earliest memories to be of strangers doing painful things to her genitalia.

Does she get plenty of diaper-free time? I would think that, given the opportunity to play with it as often as she wants, she will eventually work it loose, just like little boys do.

 

I don't know much about it, but I guess it depends on the severity. But i'm willing to bet that over 90% of these cases correct themselves sometime in puberty. Doc's tend to be the same way about boy's forskins (don't become become retractible usually till puberty, when their's natural hormone's involved.)

Seriously, if she can pee, I don't think there's that much cause for alarm....but then again, I may need some more details about exactly why the doctor wants to do something immediate...(i mean, it's not like he's expecting her to get her period no time soon, right?

: )

 

edit:

Willing to bet the folks down in "the case against circumcsion" will know something about this, especially since you are looking for some immediate answers....

p.s. Excuse all the typos in both posts, nak.

 

my 18 mo dd has the same thing. Her ped said that it would open on it's own when her body started creating it's own estrogen. Until then there is really no reason to force it open unless the adhesion is blocking the flow of urine. He actually seemed to think it was a good thing with the exception of the above, since there's less chance of infection from poop getting up there, etc. And as far as the hormone cream is concerened...it only works if you keep applying it. More often than not the labia will re-adhere because her body still isn't creating it's own hormones, so what's the point?

 

:

and I was just reading a pediatrics blog wherein the doctor said that he had as much success using neosporin as the estrogen cream.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions as it's my DD that's having the issue (Wm's Mom was home today and posted for me since I can't at work).

Here's my take I wrote earlier today, too

Quote:

I am frankly amazed as to why he suggested it out the blue. She's had no obvious problems. It's been about the same since she was nine months and they (another doctor, female) noticed at one of her very first WBC because Tony was with me and he hasn't gone with us any that's she had shots and he remembers Dr. S saying something. Dr. G noticed it and told me basically the same as Dr. S.: watch and see how it does that it should eventually go away on its own, but should she have infection, UIT then we need to be a little more proactive. Dr. P also said that it "needs" to be opened up b/c the urine "might" not be fully emptying out and any waste left in would cause increase numbers of bacteria (but that wouldn't be related to the strep throat infections which have really been the only problem.) I told him that Bethany shows no signs that it bothers her and she does know how to say "oww", "uh-oh" or sign for hurt and points to it if something is wrong. He simply ressponed she could have a high tolerance of pain or that it isn't burning enough to bother her. I've always just about cleasned her with a wipe, even with pee diapers, just because. And her skin looks a little irritated, but not as much as she was with disposables (like heat rash). Her labia opening is about the size of large grain of rice/wheat; whereas the entire area would be about the diameter of a quarter (looking at the thin side). When Dr. S first noticed it was about 1/4 of the way closed. Then it went about 3/4 and that's where it's been forever. I've always just tried to leave it alone. Oh and Dr. P said too that it was probably caused by something irritating it that caused to to start to close and that you have to stop that cycle in order to get it heal. I frankly don't want to do anything to it.

Also, i'm the same M35 here as in lj (since I posted over there when I got home)