Scratching...eeew!

My daughter had a Urinary tract infection when she was 3. She had to see a specialist and complained with much the same symptoms. I'd take her to the doctor asap.
E.

She definately has a UTI or even yeast infection. Take her to the doctors.

When my daughter was 2 she did the same thing for a very long time and after millions of Dr. visits to specialists at U of M who tried every different ointment in the book, my instincts told me that it was something she was eating or drinking. So, I stopped all apple juice because she used to drink it like a fish. Three days after stopping all juices cold turkey the itching stopped! She is now 5 and a half and we have done lots of allergy testing which always comes up negative for foods, but I have found that anything with red food coloring makes her itch again as well as any juice.
Hope this helps.
A.

Anytime it hurts to go potty, there is something going on. So my suggestion, would be to take her to your Doctor as soon as you can. It sounds like an infection but there are other things that could be going on also..

It could be an UTI. My daughter had a very bad one at the age of 18 months. One of the big signs that your daughter may have an UTI is if her urine smells really strong especially first thing in the morning. My daughter kept showing me that her back hurt her just above the waist ( where the kidneys are) and also had a very high fever after a couple of days. It started, though, with her just being very cranky. If in doubt have her checked out. They will have to get a fresh urine sample so make sure she drinks plenty before going to the doctors. And if she isn't potty trained yet I would suggest asking for a "puck" which is just a bag that they tape over her vaginal area to catch the pee. Otherwise your daughter will have to get a catheter and I speak from experience that neither you nor your daughter will want to go through that trauma. Good luck.

No, they can get them - but your daughter needs to be checked out by her doctor and if she does have one, receive a course of antibiotics. They are fairly easy to treat, but left untreated can cause permant kidney damage.

Good luck!

http://www.babycenter.com/0_urinary-tract-infection_11394.bc

My 2 1/2 year old does this, too. I never considered an infection... I hope it's not. I just figured she's potty-training, and maybe not wiping as good as we used to with wipes at diaper changes. I've also heard this is the age when they start discovering themselves. We were out at dinner tonight, and she felt like showing off her "boobies." :oD. So embarassing, but a totally natural "stage."

If she is potty trained, it may be from the way she is wiping. Also, baths can cause irritation down there. My daughter also had this problem and since I started giving her showers she has not be scratching. This is what the doctor told me and advised me to do. I was also told to put her in a bath with baking soda. It is the soap in the water that would be irritating her.

Good Luck

C.,

The first thing I'd check would be to see if she is getting herself clean after potty time. Or if she is waiting too long to go in and her panties get damp. Damp is uncomfortable and also allows the sesitive skin to become irritated. The irritation could be what she's scratching at and the minor scratches could sting when she urinates. The dampness might also be from the humidity and warm temps rather than any dribbling at potty time.
If she is irritated, even a little bit, I always used a little diaper cream (petroleum jelly is okay too-that's what we use now that they are older and we don't have babies and gear around anymore). Not a lot of either, just a bit to try and keep that moisture away from the skin. For us it was only a day or two before it was totally cleared up. Most of the time now, they let me know at bedtime, we wash well, put a smear of stuff on and they are fine by morning. It amazes me that just a few hours of dry rest can help a lot!

Hope this helps but it is just experience from me,
M.
Mom of 4 girls ages 5-10 and their Daddy

Please have this checked out today. It could be yeast, a UTI, or both. Sometimes bath water or products used in a bath can cause a UTI. Don't let it go any longer or it may cause a kidney infection.

Has she been on antibiotics lately?

She might need probiotic, to get the yeast infection under control, because that is what it sounds like.

To be honest, It sounds like a yeast infection. I would have her looked at by her Dr. as soon as you can get her in.

No it is not abnormal for a young child to get a urinary tract infection and that is what it could possibly be. My daughter had one when she was about 2. I took her to the doctor and she was better in no time. Good luck.

Talk to your doctor. It is possible to get them that young - one of my girls had one. If she's saying that it itches and it hurts to pee, then something may be going on. Have it looked at - it may be that she has itched so much that she itched it raw, but then again, maybe not...

Sounds like a yeast infection. However it could just be irritated. Do you use bubble bath- if so stop. Try putting her undies in seperate load and put on an extra rinse cycle to ensure all soap is out. Or have you changed soap recently? Although an actual diagnosis is the best thing. Give her an aveeno bath for right now to sooth the itch.

It could be either a urinary tract infection or a yeast infection niether of which is abnormal

Yes, it's possible for even babies to get UTI's. I'd take her to the dr. right away. She may also have some type of yeast/fungi infection that's causing all the itching... Good luck.

I would get your daughter in to her doctor ASAP. It is not uncommong for little girls to get these. My daughter got one when she was about 5 months old. They could not figure out what was going on with her because she was running a yo-yo temp going from close to 105 to normal. They checked her for everything from meningitis on down. You can get them from enything from scented or colored tp, from underwear that is not cotton based and bubble bath. If it is a UTI it will not be uncommon for her to get repeat infections so she will need to be careful for the rest of her life. My daughter who got them is 27 and still gets them.
Good luck

It is MOST likely a yeast infection... Call a doctor and get a pee test..or I think they sell them over the counter now, depending on how high your co-pay this might be cheaper.

BUBBLE BATH or your laundry detergent. Is she just recently potty trained..she could be getting that way from the laundry detergent in her undies... can be a culpurit... she could be sensitive down there...

Any fever?
My daughter just went through this. In her case she was just off Abx so a UTI was unlikely but a yeast infection is quite possible and she may have caused trauma when she scratched making it sting when the pee hits it.

She had a sitz bath (warm no soap just water)to relieve it. If you find some mucous strings it's likely trauma (from scratching). It could also be yeast. UTI is also possible. Call the Dr's office and talk to the nurse/pediatrician.

my daughter, age 6, get a UTI every summer. Our Dr says it is from being in a wet/moist bathing suit for so long. If it continues I would definitely go to your doctor. Hope it helps!
-T.

It sounds like it could be a yeast infection. Why don't you just take her to the doctor?

She could have a UTI or a simple Yeast Infection. It can start at any age.

Take her to the Pediatrician to have this addressed.

If you are into natural remedies also there are homeopathics, as well as using reflexology to use in combination with antibiotics if needed.

But I think you need to have your little one checked out first before doing anything as a home remedy, so you know what you are treating.

No, it's not uncommon. My daugher had a bladder infection at the age of 6.

I found out that taking a bath can cause this if there is any fecal matter in the water.

After that, I made sure she showered and then had her bath.

Going to the doctor might be a good idea just to be sure.

If there is a problem with yeast or other infections, some preventative diet additions would help.

Cranberry juice (or CranApple, CranCherry, etc.)

Yogurt

Good Luck.

Hi, your daughter is having a burning sensation possibly too poor wiping.. buy her some wet wipes or infact bring her to the doctor.

M. B

It very well could be a uti. My daughter had one when she was 1. I didn't know she had one until she came down with a high fever and had to be hospitalized for it. The doctor told me if a uti isn't taken care of, it can scar the tissue in the kidneys, which in turn causes a whole bunch of other problems. Now that she is older, I always stress to her how important it is to tell me if it ever hurts when she pees. That way it can be taken care of right away. I'd have her checked out right away. Hope she feels better soon!

Have her seen. It could definitely be a medical issue.

From what I have been told by my friends that have girls it is very common for girls to touch themselves to the point they irritate themselves. Also coming from an expert of urinary trac, bladder and kidney infection usually girls get them very early you should take her to a doctor now and if she does have the infection he will tell you how to avoid the infection, I was told to drink alot of water, and any kind of cranberry juice. My sister use to give her girls pepsi (bad) that is how they were always getting infections also.

Yes, it is possible for her to have an infection. She should go to the dr. Could get from improper wiping or bacteria from feces.

Hello C., If it hurts when she pees it is probably a yeast infection. Get it checked out by the doctor. Good luck.

See Dr. Kass in Troy on Livernios. He is currently treating my 4 year old daughter and 5 month old son for urinary reflux. We had the same issue and he is excellent! He is the Top Pediatric Urologist for RO Beaumont. He will get to the bottom of the problem.

I know of a young girl who has had numerous yeast infections. I don't remember a lot of facts about them, but I remember she needed meds to get rid of each one and they were often worsened by oj (and maybe other acidic foods, I can't recall for sure). Your daughter probably needs a trip to the pediatrician.

possible yeast infection
time to go to pediatrician :)

It sounds like a UTI to me. I would take her to the Dr. just to make sure. My friend's daughter used to get them now and then when she was little, so it's very possible. Is she potty trained? If so, make sure that she knows to wipe front to back (or you could wipe her). My daughter has a lot of trouble with that concept for some reason!

Hi Carie,

I do not think it is uncommon. What sort of liquid does she drink. You might want to call the Drs and see what they might think. But if she will drink cranberry juice then let her have a few glasses and lots of H2O.

It could ba alot of things. She may just be holding it, too busy to go...leaks a little then her area gets irritated by the leakage, then it itches and burns when she pees. She also could have a low grade bladder infection that is just enough to be irritating but not bad enough to cause any real symptoms like a fever. Does she have to "go" often and urgently? Then there's the bath issue. Does she take a bath and sit in the soapy water longer than about 10 or 15 minutes. The soap could cause irritation, itching then burning when she pees. Try a small amount of VERY gentle soap in her bath.
How about your laundry detergent or fabric softener? Have you changed to something new lately. The other thing that could be going on is a little yeast infection.
All in all, I would make sure she takes a short bath, that she dries well and always has clean panties, (cotton preferred) and no panties at night. Also that she is wiping properly (at both ends). Give her plenty of water. Yogurt is good for yeast infections...yes even the little ones can get them.
Please post what you figure out. Good Luck!!

it sounds like a uti

It may be. Get it checked by a doctor. Especially if she says it burns. Also when I was little and to this day...I have to wash my underwear seperatly in special detergent like dreft and no fabric softeners and cotton underwear. If not it starts to get real itchy (like a yeast infection) and it burns when I pee only because of the inflamtion and irritation down there. Hope this helps.

I know you have resolved the issue but for future reference...She may have Candida. This is an overabundance of yeast. Some ways of reducing this is to watch her sugar and carb intake.

If you aren't already doing this, incoporate whole wheat products versus white (usually bleached flour increases production of yeast/Candida).

Hope this helps.

M.