Niece Smells "Down There"

With out knowing what the "smell" "smells" like, there could be many reasons she has odor from her private area. She may not be consuming enough water and that makes her urine concentrated and if she doesnt wipe all the way, this could be it. Maybe she does leak urine and the smell is actually comming from her underpants. Or, perhaps she has a yeast issue, vaginally or rectally. It could be a reaction to the detergent that her clothes are washed in. It may even be hormonal changes causing the odor. Or.. this may seem a bit icky.. but she could have something lodged in there. Have your sister speak to your nieces doctor. Good luck, hope this helps.

You could have her checked out at the doctor's. It could be yeast (bubble baths are notorious offenders), or possible bacterial vaginosis, which is just an infection that happens when bad bacteria is introduced into the vagina. Wiping back to front could cause it. It's treated with antibiotics. But I would recommend just asking a doctor. :)

Perhaps bathing more frequently is in order. Also when the child bathes are you sure she is washing with soap and not just sitting in bath water. Its a delicate subject, I know, but some young girls mature earlier than others and they need a little girl to girl talk to help them know correct feminine hygiene. If you have noticed the odor others will have also. Loved ones should take care of the problem and not ignore it otherwise strangers might say something and hurt her feelings because she is not aware of what she is smelling like.

Sounds like she probably has an infection. Girls are SO prone to vaginal infections. Sometimes odor is the only indication of an infection - so there won't be any itching or discharge, but an untreated infection can have very long-term consequences to include infertility. Your sister should take her to the pediatrician right away.

could be an infection. Normal healthy, clean private should not smell.

You need to make sure she doesn't have an infection. Girls can easily get infections from the bath, from the dirty water. Have her start showering for awhile and see if it gets better,after it's cleared up. Does she itch at it? Feed her yogurt, in case there is a bacteria problem.

I just have to butt in and mention that bathing more frequently than 2-3 times a week is not suggested for children (or adults) since it destroys the natural protections the skin has and may actually make things worse.
I would first cut out soap in the bathwater/transition to showers and never wash her privates with soap or "special" wipes. The vagina is a self cleaning environment and soaps and other cleaning agents destroy the natural balance.
The girl should be taught to wipe from front to back only and to keep her privates clean with a wet washcloth (water only).
At the same time I would take her to the doctor to make sure if she has yeast or BV it gets treated.

Sounds like it could be a yeast infection. I have 2 girls, and one of them was super sensitive to EVERYTHING! Bath soap, laundry soap, fabrics, foods, what a nightmare! I would suggest that she get some yeast infection medication, and see if that doesn't fix the problem. This is all based on the understanding that there is no reason to think that something unsavory has happen to her. Hope this helps. R.

Girls are not likely to get an infection from "dirty water" it's more likely from soap if at all from a bath. I agree with a previous post in that it could be a number of things. Maybe try having her shower daily and change her panties 2-3 times a day. If she's not itchy that is. If it doesnt' go away within a fairly short period of time i'd say take her to the doctor. It really can cause serious problems.
W.

I've recently started going to a a Naturopathic Doctor (ND). They seem to know a whole lot more than MDs about so many things, and actually have treatments - that are not toxic.

I would check with a Dr. She could have a yeast issue, or another kind of bacterial infection or issue. If the Dr. has no medical reason for it, I would try to have her bathe more frequently and/or use a feminine deoderant. If she is very active, sweat glands could be causing the odor. ALso, make sure she is wearing only cotton underwear as other fabrics can trap air and not allow that area to breathe.

She could just have an imbalance in her pH, but sounds like she should get checked out to rule out any infection. She sounds pretty young to be having female odor issues.

Best of luck!

It sounded like a Yeast Infection to me too...but then that's what I thought my son might have had when he was 6 years old. He had other symptoms that worried me and he was losing weight and drinking lots of water. I called the doctor after reading the symptoms of Diabetes and sure enough, that's what he had, Type I Diabetes.
Your sister needs to take her daughter to the doctor and have her checked out. I hope it's a yeast infection because one little pill can solve that problem, but if its more serious, it needs to be diagnosed so it can be dealt with.

Has your sister tried sprinkling some baking soda into the bath water? Maybe bathing or showering daily? Has she asked the child's Dr.?
Good luck

As you have heard from all the messages, odor is an indicator of a bacterial infection or yeast. But if after the pediatrician checks her out and all is ok -try a drop of tea tree oil in her panties. It is a decent preventative for yeast infections too.

She may possibly have a yeast infection. I would take her to the pediatrician and have it checked. If she does then you can help prevent more by simply eating yogurt every day. Makes a nice desert for a child.

Yes I have.. Its from not properly washing herself right or the bubble baths, sodas and so on. The fix is going to the docs for medicine normally for yeast, bladder infections, making sure she knows how to properly wash herself and what i did was gave mine cranberry juice and yogurts. Havent had that problem in years!!

PS.. We had to switch to dove the pink soap bar. Umm 2-3 times a week on a bath isnt really good for her. Expecially when there is lice in schools going around and such. If you dont wash your hair daily after schools your more prone to catching it and so on..

If she's checked out at the doctor and doesn't have an infection, I would also just suggest that she practice wiping a little better after using the bathroom and possibly washing just her privates before bedtime on nights when she doesn't bathe. It's possible that she's just being careless with wiping; my niece went through a phase like that--she was just "too busy" to properly wipe after using the bathroom!

hello,

If you want an honest answer I would suggest that she bathe more often. 2-3 times per week seems a little infrequent. If she was still a infant that wouldn't be a problem. However seeing as she's not I would seriously suggest bathing her nightly. It would help with her being smelly "down there" and also keep her hygenically clean throughout.

Just my thought on this. Take is as you want.

see her PED. also maybe try using cottenell wipes or kandoo's, will she eat yougart? my neices always had yeast infections (everyone has yeast just some are more prone to higher levels) and a yougart a day will keep the smell away, and lastly, no baths until it is resolved, only showers.

Vaginal smell is usually due to overgrowth of bacteria, i.e. bacterial infection. She should see her doctor.

Hope that helps!

Beth

She might have an infection. OR, she's not wipping well enough
See a doctor. :-)
D.

Maybe your sister should up her showers/baths per week. I would try having your niece bathe 4-5 times a week and see if that makes a difference. Also, have mom check to make sure she is wiping herself properly after going to the bathroom. Maybe there is urine residue from not wiping well enough. Make sure she changes her underwear daily too and that might help. Good luck!

Our daughter has the same issue. went to the doctor and nothing is wrong. She just needs to wash down there daily and she's only 7. We notcied it mostly on days she would play hard outside or went two days without a shower. Hope that helps.

My first thought is she isn't whipping fully. Also she may be better to use a wet nap rather then toilet papper. If it bad I would take her to a doctor as well. Even without other sighns there could be a yeast infection or somthing ells. U should rule that out first.

First I'd check with a doc, might be a infection. But then some have a bit a stronger oder then others. Might not be anything wrong, she just may have to switch to showers and Mom checking to make sure she is cleaning herself good. Check with the doc and have him/her rule out other problems. Good luck!

Does your niece have any other symptoms? Has your sister taken her to the doctor? She may have a yeast infecion or bladder infection or something. Some girls at that age also become curious. She should have it checked out.

J. J

Sounds like she could have a ph inbalance or a yeast infect, or even a vaginal infection. PH inbalance can occur from her diet, yeast infections can come from antibiotics, and vaginal infections can occur from wiping feces into her vaginal area when she's on the toilet, or perhaps some dirt or bacteria under her nails, or a bubble bath. There are many ways and reasons for girls to get infection. Take her to the dorctor, they can determine the cause and get her on the right track.
Best of luck.

I find myself wondering if there is really more odor than might be considered normal. All bodies give off a little smell, some more than others, that would be within a healthy range. And some people are so self-conscious about any sort of body odor at all that I can see the possibility of such a worry being projected onto a child.

If there is actually an odor problem, it's probably a yeast or bacterial overgrowth. As other mamas have noted, too much cleaning/bathing/soap can actually make the problem worse because it destroys the natural chemical/bacterial balance of the female genitals. If the girl is experiencing any irritation, burning or itching, it would be worthwhile to visit a pediatrician. Or, as some have suggested, a naturopath might be better yet.

from a G. of 9, maybe she should take her to the dr. as she may have an infection

We have had the same issues and I have never been able to figure it out for the life of me... Its not infections, she showers daily, I just dont get it..