Ok so my 4 year old daughter has been itching herself in the private area for a few months now. I tell her to stop or go to the restroom to itch but she just say well it itches Mom. I have had her in the dr. for this and they tell me to make sure she is wiping corectley and to do oatmeal baths, I have done both and still no better. My question is has anyone else had this problem? and what helped?
try getting larger underwear (if it's on the small side) and moving from blue jeans to "stretchy" pants. It could be that seam of the jeans that rubs her. My daughter used to look like she was itching.
If that's not it, try changing laundry soap... could be an allergy (for that case, try putting her on Claritin for a few days and see if it stops itching)
If it is a yeast infection, one of the biggest offenders is fabric softener. Do not use fabric softener on her panties. This has been a huge discovery for us. (This is the same for fabric softener sheets or the liquid you use in the rinse water.)
Itching sounds like a yeast infection. If that's the case, she'll need more than an oatmeal bath to cure it. I'd suggest start having her eat a yogurt a day (if she will eat it), and/or get a 2nd opinion on a doctor. Yogurt always cures my yeast infections, but not sure if it works for everyone. I have to do it for a couple weeks though at least. The creams and such from the stores never seems to do the trick, not to mention they're messy and gross. There are probiotics and other natural remedies you can ingest, but I prefer yogurt. The doctor is correct on wiping front to back, but that won't 'cure' it, just help keep her from getting another one.
The first thing I would do is to start washing her underware in a gentle washing liquid and maby on it's own.
Do this for a while as she may have gotten into the habit of, scratching and it could take a little while to break.
Fairy washing powder is very good, or any non scented one would do.
good luck as we all hate to see our child uncomfortable
It sounds like you have already gotten some good advice. I just wanted to add that you might check the soaps, fabric softeners, and things of that nature that you use. She might have a little bit of an allergy to something, and her clothes are right against her skin so it can be very irritating.
Good luck!
Take her back to the doctor and have them do tests for a UTI or a yeast infection (there are also other bacterial infections that can cause itching). If they won't help you, it's time to seek out a new doctor, because your daughter is uncomfortable and asking a 4 year old not to scratch when it itches is expecting a lot!
Are her pants or undies too tight? If she has a bit too much moisture down there she will itch. Also, you might want to take her back to the doc, sounds like she might have a little yeast infection that can be easily corrected.
Sounds like candida, yeast. They can do a simple test of the stool to see if that is what it is. In the mean time get her on probiotics to get healthy bacteria in the gut. Also, this can happen when she has a slight reaction to the food she is eating. Avoid sugar, bread and yeast for a while.
Its probably yeast infection. She will need to eliminate sugar in the diet, and get some probiotics. Make sure she is drinking a lot of water as well
my 4 year old daughter does the same thing! I took her to the Dr and had her looked at for a yeast infection and UTI... nothing. They said I could put some cordaid (anti-itch cream) mixed with vaseline down there to minimize the itching. I also use diaper rash cream (even though she's been potty trained for 2 years now!) to soothe the area and protect.
My other daughter had this problem at age 3, and it turned out I had switched detergents and was using a lot of oxyclean (younger sis was potty training so lots of accidents).... anyway when i went back to our regular detergent and stopped my over-use of oxyclean, she stopped. we also switched her to larger size underwear, which i am about to do with my younger one (the current itcher).
Good luck!
Let her soak in a tub half-filled with 1/2 cup baking soda for about 20 minutes. You can do this everyday, if need be, but usually after once or twice, my daughter is fine. She is also 4, and this was recommended by the nurse at the pediatrician's office for the same reason--hard to wipe well enough at this age. You can also apply a small amount of vaseline (EXTERIOR ONLY! of course) to where she is red, after the bath when she is well-dried. This creates a barrier between her delicate skin and the urine. Good luck!
I really recommend being persistent about taking her to the doctor until the problem is solved. My 4 year daughter had a really bad itching problem. It took 3 trips to the doctor to get it solved. At first they thought it was a fungal or bacterial infection--but anti-fungals didn't work. Eventually we got some extra-strength steroid cream which did the trick. So your problem could be any number of things, including something as simple as a yeast infection.
It sounds like she has a yeast problem. Look up candida and start reading.
Up the amount of protein and fat she is eating, lay off all Grains Sugars and go easy on the fruit for a while.
Get her on a good probiotic to improve her digestion.
It should take care of itself.
H.
I'm guessing it's a yeast infection too. Acidolphilus is a great probiotic and can be found in capsule form at any Health Food Store. You can open the capsule or buy powder form and add it to her juice. I would do that at least twice a day until it gets better. If she likes yogurt, get her to eat a good one at least once a day too, especially after she stops taking the supplement. It should have active cultures and no high fructose corn syrup or added color. WINCO has a great brand called Fit and Fruity.
Try putting some "goop" as we call it on for her. We use that diaper type ointment that is thick and yellow---for the life of me I can't remember the name--naturally we are out so I can't run up and grab a tube. It's in a white tube, yellow writing on the side, it does not coat with that white yucky junk...just remembered A&D. Our girls (ages 8 and 6) still use it when they have an itch. It coats, soothes, protects. We find that too many bubble baths, or the wrong kind of soap will cause irritation.. The only soap our girls can use without getting itchy is by Crabtree and Evelyn goat milk soap. Generally I've found, a yeast infection will have some sort external signs-- redness, small bumps or pustuals, once you see it you'll know. Itchiness like you mention in our girls is usually sign of a reaction to soap, clothes, staying in wet bathing suit too long. Try the A&D (without zinc oxide) and see if it helps.
I switched to flushable moist wipes. It gets the private area alot cleaner. My daughter had the same issue.
My daughter had this problem. We had to bring her to the dr's three times looking for a UTI. It wasn't so much itching as picking at her underware _constantly_. It drove me batty. Here's what we've done to virtually eliminate the problem.
1. Have her pull her pants and underpants all the way down to her ankles when she pees, and to sit with her legs really wide. When she's done peeing, have her give a little "wiggle."
2. Wipe really well from front to back.
3. No more baths. She had to switch to showers. Now even if she takes the occasional bath I notice the problem (and we use the mildest organic soaps. Her skin is just super sensitive).
After about a week of this routine, no more problems. Good luck. (By the way, if it is a yeast problem, the oatmeal baths are likely going to make it worse, not better, so do get her checked out by the doctor if this doesn't go away soon).
Is she really itching herself, or exploring? If she is truly itching, I would ask the doc to rule out yeast. Very young children can have yeast infections, which would explain the itching.
All I can suggest is don't use any bubble baths with her in the tub.
K.,
what helps? yogurt! have her eating 2 yogurts a day, if she doesn't like it that much then give her one. That will certainly help her if she has a yeast infection. She could have the flavor yogurts and you can add some stuff to it (like dried fruits, m&m's, etc.) if she doesn't like yogurts that much. But try to have her eat some. You will see the difference in no time!
