My 4 year old has had a rash (more like chapped skin)on her private area for over 2 weeks now. The doctor, who has never seen her about this, said that it was probably nothing to worry about. I have tried using diaper rash ointment..nothing. I tried topical ointment for yeast infections that seem to work, but it does not clear up completely and I have to do it 3 times a day. I was told that it is most likely because she is not cleaning completely after she uses the restroom, but I have made sure she wipes, and it keeps coming back. I am planning to call again on Monday, but any information would be appreciated. Please help!
Thanks for all the great ideas. We have always used dye and perfume free laundry products since the children have been born. And the girls NEVER take bubble baths as a doctor told my mother 30+ years that girls should not be allowed to because of the risk of infections. But the talk anbout eczema made me remember that she had an eczema rash on her head and her hands last spring/summer. (How quickly we forget:) Maybe she has some sort of seasonal allergy. I will try the product that worked so well on her last year.
Hi! It sounds like the same thing my 6 month daughter had a few weeks ago. I took her to the doctor and she said it was eczema. She told me to use Aquaphor cream which you can buy in the lotion section at any drug store. We saw a difference the first time we used it.
Hope that helps!
Have you tried Hydrocortisone cream? It works wonders for my kids when there are weird redness on their body.
Hi there. Does your daughter take bubble baths? Sometimes that's not good for little girls, expecially if they take them often. If this is the case, you might want to try cutting back on them. Otherwise, I'd make sure the doctor saw the rash just in case. Good luck.
Dynaohana
You might have already looked into it, but exzema? Does she have this anywhere else? I know a company that has really great botanically based products, a Baby rash cream, a Skin Conditioning Oil that I know both work amazing on these type pf rashes. It's hard going to the Dr. becuase all he typically recomends has sythetic oils and steroids and that is why thise creams don't work they just take care of the top layer of skin. (They cannot penetrate the skin.)
If you want to try any of these producst let me know I can tell you the name. (The company has been around for 28 years so they are legit!
Hope this helps:-)
I tried corn starch, on my little one and use free and clear detergent, no dryer sheets and cut out the fabric softner. Go to Mercola.com and this will open a whole new world for ya,Much Peace and Bless the children
J.,
My 4 yr old has had the same difficulty. I keep a packet of those 'little buddies' wipes next to the toilet for her, they are gentle and specially formulated to soothe. And I still have to help her wipe correctly sometimes - she just wants to get it over with and get pack to playing.
Also, I eliminated bubbles in the bath all together, and sometimes even put in a little epsom salt when she would complain of being sore down there. After her bath applied a small amount of hydrocortisone (the ointment is better than the cream).
But definitely have the doc take a look - I recall something similar with my oldest and it turned out that she is highly allergic to poison ivy, so just sitting in the grass (fully clothed) a few feet away caused her to have poison ivy on her little bottom!
hope she's better soon.
My daughter had this problem off and on for about 3mos. Sometimes she doesn't wipe very well because she's in too much of a hurry to get back to playing. I usually use A&D ointment and go in and wipe her every time and it clears up in a day or so. Bad thing is it's usually very chapped by the time she starts complaining about it.
I also agree with the previous poster about bubble baths. I did notice that if she played in the bubble baths for too long she would get chapped and irritated more often. We changed to a more sensitive bubble bath (I think it was Mr. Bubble - sensitive) and limit the time spent in the bath a bit. Mainly our problem seems to be the wiping issue though.
My daughter has the same problem. I would recomend a diaper rash ointment called Triple Paste. That cream does wonders on all kinds of rashes. I use it on everything now.
Perhaps she is allergic to your laundry detergent. Try getting something that is perfume and dye free. I use all-perfume free. It is free of all allergens. Also, make sure she is wearing only all cotton underwear, which I am sure she is. Good luck!
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Your child could be allergic to the soap, or detergent that you're using!Try something light and delicate(Ivory Snow?)
Good luck!
J.
My son has allergies that can cause rashes in the groin area. Have you had her tested for allergies? It could be a contact allergy, such as soap, or the elastic in her underwear, or it could be a food allergy, or an animal allergy, etc. My son is so allergic to cats, that he breaks out if he so much as sits in a chair, where someone who owns a cat has sat. When he was younger, he broke out if he had eaten anything with egg in it (though he has since grown out of that allergy). It always starts in the groin area because it is a very sensitive area, I've been told.
If she's had this for weeks, and the suggestions of your doctor have done nothing, she needs to be looked at by a doctor. If your doctor looks at the rash, he may determine that it looks more like eczema than diaper rash, and recommend allergy testing, or determine that it looks like something else entirely (yeast perhaps?) and follow a different route. It is difficult to diagnose over the phone.
I'm thinking eczema. If the area is darkened and dry, cracked looking skin, it could definitely be eczema. If it's in her diaper area (if it's truly eczema) it will be hard to get rid of because damp areas inflame the condition. Eczema is allergy related and affects all people of all shapes and sizes. Cortisone is used to treat eczema as well as other types of ointments, but consult with your physician of course before trying an over the counter steroid. It may help if you try a little bit of powder on the affected area to help keep it dry. Or possibly monitor her to see when you could keep a diaper off of her for about 5 to 10 minutes at a time to allow the area to breath. Good luck.
Single mom of 2. I have had eczema for years and so do my daughters.
My four year old gets a rash there just simply from being sweaty, especially wearing jeans. I have also known others to have that issue because of something they are drinking (like milk or juice) that is causing irritation on the flow out. You may check some dietary issues. I do know that warm baths where thy just soak periodically does help my daughter because of her issue. I also don't, at this point, enforce jeans or pants in the house, just undies and long shirts or something to keep air breathing.
Are you using fabric softener in your laundry? Have you considered that there might be some kind of allergic reaction to your detergent or softener or something you might be putting in your wash loads? This might be worth looking into especially since most detergents are now being concentrated 2X or 3X these days.
If the yeast ointment is working but the rash comes back, you need to try and see if she will eat yogurt. That will help it stay away if it is really yeast. Too much sugar in her diet might be the cause of yeast infections. Good luck, I have no idea if that's what she has but it's worth a try.
This may be a bit outdated because I am sure they have made numerous changes over the years but I remember when my little sister was younger she had a rash that my mom couldn't clear up. The pediatrician said that it could be from bubble bath. He said that bubble baths and young girls aren't really a good combination. He said clear water baths were fine, just no bubbles. My baby sister is now 28 and a mother herself so it has been a while so I can't remember the reasons that he gave. I do know that once my mom quit letting her take a bubble bath, it cleared up and she didn't have a problem after that.
DearJulie,
My daughter struggled with this as well. I agree with many ofthe great suggestions that other moms have written already. I tend to lean more toward yeast as the issue. My recommendation would be to add probiotics as a supplement. They are wonderful and easy to take. I have worked with many moms/children with yeast issues. Please contact me for more specifics if yu are interested.
T.
Wellness Consultant
Hi J.,
A&D ointment is the best. First we have to ask, is she taking any bubble baths? Did you recently switch soaps, laundry soap? and bath soap? And when she wipes is she just using plain white toliet paper, no colored paper or perfumed stuff. Is she wearing cotton underwear? sometimes manufacturers put tight elastic even platic around the undies which could be irritating her. Do you notice the rash with certain undies? Answer these questions and you may have the answer. Hope it works! ;-) Pamela RN
did you change laundry detergents? wash her panties in dreft (or something gentle) just to be safe. have her "pat" the area dry instead of rubbing. steer clear of those flushable wipes - they dry everything out. good luck
