I have a 7 year old daughter who has had a few bouts with vagnitis. Most recently was this past summer. It developed early August, and it took almsot 2 months and one round of oral antibiotics to cure it. I attributed the cause to be exposure to chlorinated pool water -- (we were members of our community pool and visited frequently). The reason I drew this conclusion is that I myself developed a yeast infection after several weeks of swimming. We both seem to be sensitive to it.
How many moms out there have little girls with recurrent vaginitis? Now that she's better, I'm afraid to have my child in a pool AT ALL. How do I handle this? I even declined a kid birthday invitation coming up soon to an indoor pool party! Help!
Thanks everyone! I wasn't clear ... MY infection was yeast (in August). My daughter's 2 cases of vaginitis were Strep-A (last Christmas), and e.coli (in August). Both infections required antibiotics to clear up.
But thanks to all who responded. I often wonder how many little girls have sensitive problems like this ... it's not something moms "talk about on the playground," so I have felt quite alone.
Gosh...
I would suggest maybe slathering some aquaphor or vaseline (or maybe diaper rash cream would even be better) before hitting the pool... and make sure she rinses real well immediately after getting out of the pool.
It may be just staying in wet bathing suit too long after swimming-and cotton undies are a must.
If it's a yeast infection, it's not from the water itself, it's from the bacteria growing in a warm moist environment--the private parts. Don't skip the pool party! Just make sure she (and you) get into dry clothes as soon as you have finished swimming. Triple paste diaper cream now has a cream for yeast infections which we used last summer successfully.
According to Wikipedia: "Pre-pubescent girls may also have infectious vaginitis, although the causes are different than those for women:
Bacterial vaginosis: vaginitis caused by Streptococcus spp..
Improper hygiene, which may introduce bacteria or other irritants from the anal region to the vaginal area.
The pH balance in adolescent girls' bodies is not conducive to the growth of Candida albicans, so they are unlikely to contract a yeast infection."
Perhaps you can make sure she is wiping and washing well.
i believe eating certain things like yogurt can help. loose clothing down there. not sure how swimming causes this but make sure she dries off well after swimming maybe and not walking around in wet bathing suit if not actually in the pool.
Yogurt or simple acidophillus capsules daily. Vinegar will neutralize that chlorine. You and she can do a simple vinegar rinse right after the pool.
L.
My daughter sometimes has "issues" down there. We have found a couple of things seem to trigger it--the way she wipes, for some reason, no matter how many times I tell her front to back, she seems to go back to front, and the type of toilet paper. For some reason, some types of paper are more irritating than others. I saw it posted on another post as a cause from a few moms and switched brands and found a big difference. If she does go swimming, it is important to get her out of the wet suit as soon as possible when she is done, and my doc suggested using a hair dryer to dry down there. My doc said it wasn't the pool water itself that causes yeast infections, but getting out of the pool and sitting in a wet suit which gives yeast a place to grow.
