Little girl's vaginal adhesion

When the mother is bathing her baby, she will find that the baby's vagina is adhered together. In this case, it is necessary to consider that the girl's vagina is not opened normally and vaginal deformity occurs. It is best to perform surgery on the child as soon as possible to avoid affecting the child's acquired development. When the child reaches puberty and has leucorrhea and menstruation, it may also affect normal secretion.

Don't think that young girls with adhesions of labia minora are "barren girls"

It is not uncommon to see young girls with adhesion of the labia minora in outpatient clinics. Some parents become very nervous when they discover that their child's vulva is abnormal, thinking that it is due to hymen occlusion or developmental deformity. They ask the doctor to check whether the child has a uterus and ovaries, whether the vagina is occluded, and even check the chromosomes, for fear that the child is a "barren girl." I think this kind of worry of parents is understandable. As a doctor, I should explain it clearly to parents to prevent their children from undergoing too many examinations and suffering unnecessary pain. This can also reduce the mental stress and financial burden of parents.

Labia minora adhesions usually occur in girls aged 3 months to 3 years.

The main reasons are as follows:

(1) Young girls have low estrogen levels and their epithelium is thin and easily damaged, causing damaging adhesions.

(2) The fat pads on the vulva and thighs of young girls are thick, and their labia are close to each other. If they are held in the arms for a long time and have little activity, inflammation of the vulva may cause inflammatory adhesions.

(3) Poor hygiene habits: using diapers for a long time and wearing nylon tights for a long time, which leads to moisture in the genitals. The method of cleaning the vulva is incorrect and not thorough, and the inner side of the labia minora is not cleaned. Improper wiping methods after urination and defecation can lead to bacterial infection and cause adhesion. This is the main reason.

If you find that your child's urine stream becomes thinner, forked, or that he or she has to strain to urinate or scratches the vulva, see a pediatric gynecologist immediately. If the diagnosis is labia minora adhesion, it can be surgically separated early in the outpatient clinic to avoid urinary tract infection and urine retention.

How to prevent labia minora adhesion?

(1) Avoid using diapers for long periods of time and use less wet wipes. If you need to use them, change them frequently or use them as little as possible during the day to allow the child's vulva to breathe.

(2) Avoid wearing nylon tights and pantyhose for long periods of time. Try to wear cotton underwear that is absorbent and breathable.

(3) Wipe the vulva correctly. After urination or defecation, wipe from front to back with absorbent and non-breakable toilet paper.

(4) Clean the vulva correctly, push aside the fat pad of the labia majora, expose the inner side of the labia minora, and clean the dirt inside.

(5) Avoid holding your baby for long periods of time. Place your baby on the bed with legs apart to reduce the chance of adhesion.