Almost any condition present in a toddler can raise a significant amount of alarm in any alert parent. The fact that the child’s immune system has not yet developed fully when compared to that of an adult body, makes the child even more susceptible to infections and other medical problems. It is very common for a toddler to experience significant itching around the vagina and the condition is medically termed as vulvovaginitis. Some children will also complain about a burning sensation or pain during urination – which can also be a symptom of the presence of a urinary tract infection. The condition is known to affect women of all ages and may be caused by a virus, bacteria, yeast or any other parasite. A number of chemicals that are commonly found in soaps, bubble bath products and perfumes are also known causes of the condition, while environmental conditions and poor hygiene patterns can significantly increase the likelihood of infection. One of the most common forms of the condition is candida albicans where the use of antibiotics can lead to yeast infections by killing the normal anti fungal bacteria that resides in the vaginal area. Yeast infections normally give rise to genital itching as well as a thick, white vaginal discharge. Bacterial vaginosis, or the overgrowth of certain types of bacteria in the vagina is also a very common cause of vulvovaginitis. The symptoms of this variant of the infection include a thin, grey vaginal discharge along with a noticeable odor.
There are a number of home remedies that should prove to be quite useful in effectively treating the condition. Allowing your daughter to soak her body in a bath with a high content of baking soda should help treat any kind of external yeast infection. Once this has been performed, you should see a noticeable reduction in the amount of redness present around the affected area. For more severe cases of the condition, hospital attention may be required. As a result, prevention against the condition is very important. You can reduce the chances of infection by making sure that your daughter follows a very hygienic code making sure that, after elimination of waste from the body, she wipes the area with soft tissue from front to back and not vice versa. Bubble baths and any soap’s that seem to irritate the skin should be strictly avoided. Wearing loose, cotton clothes will also help prevent any organisms from thriving on parts of the body that are moist and damp.