Dr. Lynn Cates
Specializing in pediatric infectious diseases and childhood immunizations.
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 Ask Dr. Cates
Three-Year-Old with an Infection on Her Private Parts | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Cates,
My three-year-old daughter has an infection on her private parts - there's whitish discharge, a small bump with pus at her labia, and cuts outside her vagina due to extreme scratching. Our family doctor talked about the possibility of sexual abuse but we strongly feel that this is absurd! Besides STD, could there be other reasons why this happened? She's on antibiotics now but the progress is extremely slow.— Anxious Mom in Selangor, Malaysia | | | ANSWER |
April 16, 2001 | | | Dear Anxious Mom,
There are indeed many conditions that can cause symptoms like you are describing, but I'm afraid I can't help pin down a diagnosis without examining your daughter and doing some laboratory tests. I know it is extremely disturbing to have your family doctor bring up sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and sexual abuse, but unfortunately there are many children throughout the world who suffer from STDs or abuse and exhibit the same symptoms as your daughter. For that reason, he would be remiss if he did not look into these possibilities. A doctor who is brave enough to raise this topic with you, even when he knows it will make you uncomfortable, clearly has the best interests of children in mind. I hope that his mentioning these very sensitive topics has not kept you from taking her for follow up--either with him or with another qualified health professional. Your daughter sounds quite uncomfortable, and since she does not seem to be responding very quickly to her current treatment, she should be re-evaluated to be sure she is on the appropriate medication. Also, she should be followed closely until she is completely well.— by Lynn Cates, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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