Symptoms of a Yeast Infection for My 4 Yr Old Daughter.

youy can buy monistat over the counter.. put some on her girl parts (external) at night.. if it is yeast it will be gone by the am

my son has had several yeast infections of his man parts.. I treat him at home with over the counter creams.. no dr visit required.

a nice bath often clears up what ever is bothering their skin but no soap for a day or so.

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You can buy a test at the drug store that will tell you if it is a yeast infection or something else. http://www.vagisilkit.com/kit2/index.shtml

I've used one and it worked quickly and easily.

She could wash with no soap for a few days to see if that helps the itchiness go away. I would check to see how red/sore she is, also. And for any unusual smells or discharge. These are the things a doctor will ask about.

I'm not sure what you mean by "horrifying". Having a doctor check our bodies is a normal thing, and what doctors are trained to do.

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I think a girl of any age can get a yeast infection. While I understand your reluctance to take her to the pedi to get this checked out, I think another way to look at it is that you're teaching her from the get go how to take good care of her female parts. With the right doctor, as JulieBean said, this does not have to be a horrifying experience at all.

I have sons and it's been my job (and my husband's, of course) to make sure they take proper care of their male parts. If something is amiss, it's my job to get them to the doctor, whether it's our family doctor or a urologist (and, yes, I've done both). The docs, myself and my husband handled the awkward visits as a normal part of life, with aplomb and dignity. Because of our lead, our sons know that, while awkward, sometimes your bits and pieces need an extra special check. This isn't horrifying or embarrassing unless you and the pedi make it so.

I guess for me the bottom line is this: does the *potential* awkwardness of the pedi visit outweigh the discomfort my child is currently experiencing? Your answer will guide your actions.

Good luck, dear mama.

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I have had problems like this with my now 9 year old daughter. There are a few things you can do before taking her to the doctor. First, the next time you bathe her, do not use any typeof bubble bath or soap. Get some summer's eve feminine wash, which is specifically designed to clean that area without causing dryness or irritation. Also, get some flushable wipes for her to use when she goes to the bathroom (there are even some feminine travel wipes you can get for when you are on the go). If she is irritated, then go ahead and use the topical monistat cream. If that STILL doesn't help, then take her to the doctor. They will want to do an external swab. My daughter wasn't happy about this, but it was the perfect time for me to talk to her about the importance of caring for ALL of our body parts and how important it is to make sure we address problems with any part of us. When I took my daughter to the doctor on a recent episode, it turned out she had a strep infection. Yep, a strep infection. The same kind you get in your throat. I was horrified, but the doctor was really calm and said it was an incredibly easy thing to have happen. Probably, something as simple as when she was at school, another kid who had strep, before knowing it, coughed into his/her hand, and then walked up the stairs holding on to the banister. Then when my daughter touched the same banister and then went to the bathroom, she transferred the infection.

I would try the simple remedies first, and if those don't work, don't be afraid to go to the doctor. I hope it is resolved easily. Good luck!

Definitely sounds like a yeast infection. I'd give a call to the pediatrician. (s)he may be able to give the diagnosis over the phone based on symptoms without anything "horrifying." Even if you have to take her in, it's not like they're going to give her a pap smear. They'll probably just ask about it, and take a look.

I would also stop having her use soap on her "privates." It's not needed and is the likely cause of her yeast infection. Her little body knows how to maintain it's proper ph balance. She can wash there with water, the rest will take care of itself. Also be sure she is wiping front to back and not pulling bacteria from her rear toward her vagina. For now, you can get her a little probiotic to help her get back in balance... you'd be surprised how quickly that will help.

HTH
T.

Just from the experience of taking my daughter twice to her pedi thinking she may have a yeast infection... both times the pedi reminded me that girls that young do not get yeast infections.

It could be one of two things--soap irritation or a bacterial infection.

Avoid bubble baths and make sure that she/you thoroughly rinse out her privates after baths.

Make sure she is wiping properly after a bowel movement--and removing all of the fecal matter.

Both times that I've been to the pedi with my daughter it's been a minor bacterial infection from "age appropriate wiping skills." Pedi's advice--twice a day wipe down her privates with a warm, soapy washcloth, rinse, apply Neosporin for a week. It's cleared up the "itchies" within a day or two.

If it is soap irritation, then treat with hydrocortisone.

Good luck.

Edited to add: Both times we went to the pedi, they were very professional and talked with my daughter about how no one is to look at or touch her privates and that it was okay that they look because her Mommy & Daddy were there with her. She was not distraught or embarrassed at all. Also, you can go soap-free for washing your daughter's privates too. If there is external redness, I would start with the Neosporin to help ease the irritation.

Kristen--those are typically external yeast infections... not in the sense that most women consider a potty-trained child to have a vaginal yeast infection--that's the explanation from our pedi.

Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers can all get yeast infections. My infants both got them several times. If a pediatrician says otherwise, I would probably try to find a different pediatrician.

Anybody can get a yeast infection -- male/female, adult/child. If a pediatrician tells you otherwise, you need to find a new one. An external yeast infection is still a yeast infection, and needs to be treated as a yeast infection... because it is one.

My daughter had one (diagnosed by a pedi) when she was about 4. It was probably caused by not wiping well. You really need to see her doctor about this before trying anything though. It's not a horrifying experience! They just have to take a look and maybe a swab. There are many things much more horrifying you'll have to deal with down the road, trust me. And yeast infections are painful, inside and out! You need to get this diagnosed and fixed.

Sounds like a candida overgrowth. Limit refined sugars and starches, and supplement with kids Probiotics(sold at health food stores or whole foods).

I am a bit hesitant about all the answers you are getting. Get your daughter to the doctor. Both my daughters have a congenital defect (they were born with it) that makes them prone to urinary tract infections and take it from me having a pediatrician examine their genitals is NOT a big deal unless YOU make it one. There genitals are just another part of their body-granted one most people don't see. The doctors will not make it traumatizing. My guess is that your child has a sensitivity to a product you are using but if you think it is a yeast infection, I would have this confirmed by a doctor and NOT treat it yourself- for a variety of reasons including the fact that over the counter medicine are NOT intended for use on toddlers but for adults. Secondly if it is a yeast infection you need to confirm it as it could be a one off thing that will never happen again or it could be the outward sign of something larger. You can't know it is a yeast infection unless you get some of her fluid cultured and it is really important to figure it out. While it might be routine for adult women to get yeast infections it is not necessarily so for little ones.
Good luck!

I agree with Kim T, take your daughter to a doctor. If you want a second opinion, take her to a pediactric gynecologist. Yes, there is such a thing. A friend of mine took her daughter to one and received the correct diagnosis.