Child's Itchy Vagina from Antibiotics: What to Do?

Hi Aunt Vadge,

My daughter is 10 years old and is on antibiotics for appendicitis. She came to me and told me her vagina is itchy.

Is safe for her to use Aunt Vadge’s Delicate Cuts Cream?

Thank you 😊

Sincerely,
Sarah
Age 42
USA

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Hi Sarah,

Oh, the poor little mite! Appendicitis is tough enough to handle without adding an itchy vagina to the mix. The thing with antibiotics is they’re like a bull in a china shop; they do the job fighting off the bad bacteria, but sometimes they knock out the good bacteria too, especially in sensitive areas like our vaginas. This can lead to yeast infections, which might be the reason for the itch.

Now, onto the Aunt Vadge’s Delicate Cuts Balm. It’s generally designed for minor skin injuries and is often soothing, but when it comes to kiddos and their delicate downstairs department, we need to tread carefully. The skin down there is super sensitive, and the last thing we want to do is to cause any more irritation. While I don’t think the ingredients in the balm would be irritating, it really depends on the cause of the itching as to whether it’s worth using or not.

The safest bet? Have a wee chat with her paediatrician or a pharmacist before trying any new creams or treatments on your little one, just in case there are any ingredients that may not be suitable for young skin — or in case her itch needs a different kind of treatment altogether. They might recommend something specific for kids with itchy bits, like an over-the-counter antifungal cream if it’s yeast-related, or they might want to take a peek to make sure it’s nothing more complicated.

Meanwhile, there are a couple of no-fuss home remedies you can try to ease her discomfort:

Keep her in loose, breathable clothing (think: cotton underwear) so things can air out down there.
Remind her not to scratch (easier said than done when it’s itchy like a bug bites convention, but we don’t want any cuts or infections).
Use an ice pack in a tea towel or wash cloth to help with the itch sensation.
Try an oat bath to soothe itching – a very low stakes but sometimes immensely helpful treatment.
Try slathering on some live yoghurt – find a brand that is proud of its live bacteria count in its products (meaning, not pasteurised) and get her to apply a little to her vagina – the high lactobacillus acidophilus count may counteract any problem microbes (yeast or otherwise), but don’t ask her to put anything in her vagina
She can take oral probiotics that will help, but choose a good gut probiotic, not a vaginal probiotic, as her vaginal flora is not the same as an adult woman yet, and won’t respond in the same way. Choose a probiotic that is designed to restore gut flora – we really love customprobiotics.com. If you’re not sure which choose, I suggest emailing them or checking the options on their website. The Probiotics are refrigerated and very, very high quality compared to so many probiotics on the market. You only use a little, and they last for a long time, and they are very high dose. But, use what you can afford, just don’t assume all probiotics are created equal!
Make sure she’s wiping front to back — it’s a golden rule for avoiding any extra nasties finding their way to where they shouldn’t.

You’re doing excellent mum work looking after your girl and making sure she’s comfy while dealing with a health hiccup. A big virtual hug to both of you, and here’s to her feeling better soon!

If the itching doesn’t let up, or if you’re feeling uncertain, and your doctors are saying everything seems fine, you can always have one of our vulvovaginal specialists take a look at her case and see what other practitioners might be missing. We’re good at tricky cases!

Remember, when it comes to our youngsters’ health, it’s always better to be safe and check with their age-appropriate experts. Keep being awesome, Sarah!

Lots of love,
Aunt Vadge