Every mother undoubtedly wants her newborn baby to be healthy. But soon after the birth of a girl, mothers are puzzled by vaginal discharge. The thought immediately comes to mind that what is happening threatens the health of the newborn and can lead to negative consequences.
Discharge in a newborn girl is a common process of physiological origin. Thus, the child’s body is cleansed of estrogen hormones. Doctors call such processes in the body a hormonal crisis. This is often observed in the first 2 weeks after birth. But in rare cases, the duration of the crisis reaches 8 weeks, without posing any danger to the child’s health.
During the time the child lived in the womb, he continuously received a certain amount of sex hormones. Which led to excess estrogen.
Boys and girls are equally exposed to the release of estrogen from the body. In certain cases, this happens unnoticed by the parents.
Symptoms of a hormonal crisis in newly born boys include swelling of the penis and swelling.
In a girl, the symptoms of a hormonal crisis may look different. But scientists deduced the general characteristics of most of the children examined. The manifestation of vaginal discharge, as well as swelling and swelling of the mammary glands of a newborn girl, with the release of colostrum.
It is not known exactly what the discharge in a newborn baby will look like. They can be very diverse: transparent, yellowish, white and even bloody. However, all of them do not pose a threat to the little girl.
The epithelium, the cervix of the child, in such cases resembles the organs of the internal reproductive system of a mature woman, so there is a discharge with blood. In adulthood, approximately 1 year before the appearance of the menstrual cycle in 10–15 year old girls, the body is rebuilt and begins to bleed. This means that if such discharge in a newborn girl lasts for several days, this is a completely normal phenomenon.
During the period of calm hormones (from 1 month to 8 years), dangerous discharge occurs for the growing girl’s body. They are called pathological. They occur not only in adults, but also in children.
Normal ones do not have any features, unlike malicious ones. Discharge with pathology is distinguished by: a bad odor, the release of a large volume of mucus, possibly even with pus.
Pustular discharge indicates inflammation of the reproductive system inside the body. In the vagina of a mature woman, there are acid rods that protect the body from harmful bacteria. And in a young child’s body there is an alkaline environment, therefore, it is much easier to be exposed to an increase in the number of harmful bacteria.
Symptoms of serious problems in a girl:
Definitely, procedures are prescribed exclusively by a gynecologist. Antifungal and antiviral medications with antibiotics are used. Children over 3 years old need to be placed on bed rest.
If a girl’s pathology is caused by worms, then the parents also need treatment. In addition to pharmaceutical drugs, you need to wash with herbal solutions and antiseptic products.
If you pay attention to the girl’s pathological diseases in a timely manner, then there is a real opportunity to cure her faster. Since it is much easier, faster and less costly to cure a child at an early stage of the disease.
Any discharge in newborn girls quite often causes a lot of concern among mothers. As a rule, they are not a pathology and occur as a result of hormonal imbalance. But it should be taken into account that the child cannot complain, so parents need to carefully monitor his condition.
In newborn girls, vaginal discharge is normal in most cases and does not pose any danger or harm to health. They can have different viscosity, color and composition. The following types are distinguished:
It should be remembered that regardless of whether a newborn girl has discharge or not, careful hygiene of the genital organs is necessary. It is recommended to wash the child after each diaper change (you can use boiled water or a weak chamomile decoction).
If discharge is detected in a newborn girl, the following recommendations must be followed:
You should immediately contact a pediatric gynecologist if the discharge in girls does not stop for a long time (the sexual crisis can last no more than 6–8 weeks). The following symptoms may also be a reason to consult a doctor:
Only a doctor can select the necessary medications and prescribe competent therapy, since an individual approach is required, taking into account the child’s age and his general condition. It is imperative to identify the causative agent of vulvovaginitis and determine its sensitivity to antibiotics.
For new parents, hygiene of the child’s genital organs often becomes a certain difficulty when caring for a baby.
However, the granite of the science of child hygiene becomes pliable after mastering the theory and several practical sessions. With proper treatment of skin folds, many “non-childish” problems in children can be avoided.
Basic issues of child hygiene
How often should hygiene procedures be carried out? The baby should be washed every time after a bowel movement, as well as before bedtime (during evening swimming, the water temperature is 36.0 - 37.0 C) in order to remove residual urine and feces. After urination, the child's genitals can be wiped with a damp cloth, but some children with sensitive perineal skin (redness and itching occur from minimal irritation) require washing more often.
What is the best way to wash? It is advisable to carry out the procedure with ordinary warm running water (in this case, an adult must thoroughly wash their hands in advance). You can use baby soap or special baby bathing products.
Adult products are not suitable; they dry out the baby’s delicate skin and disrupt its normal microbial flora. For hygienic care of the genitals, you should also not use potassium permanganate and herbs, so as not to cause dry skin and allergies.
Which is correct? The child should be placed on the arm of an adult, tummy down, bring the buttocks under the stream of water, move your free hand from front to back, from the pubis to the anus, wash the genitals (labia, penis, scrotum) and folds of skin. And that's the only way! This is especially true for girls’ hygiene, otherwise intestinal microbes can enter the vagina and urinary tract.
Some experts advise boys to wash the penis without moving the foreskin, others recommend carefully exposing the head of the penis as much as the extensibility of the foreskin allows. Therefore, it is better to select a suitable treatment option for a boy’s genitals, taking into account his physiological characteristics.
Wash the head with water or treat it with baby oil, then return the foreskin to its place. If it does not allow you to open the head, there is no need to do this forcibly, otherwise pinching of the head in the foreskin may develop - paraphimosis, which will require urgent surgical correction.
What's next?
– After washing, you need to cover the child with a towel and carefully blot the moisture in the perineum.
– Any children’s cosmetics must be tested on an adult’s skin before use on a baby. To do this, you need to rub a small amount of the product on the skin of the elbow and observe the reaction. After 5-10 minutes, no redness or rash should appear in the area. In addition, pediatricians advise applying baby cream, talc, oil, etc. first to the mother’s palms and only then to the baby’s skin. If the baby’s skin is healthy (velvety, pink), there is no point in excessively using baby cosmetics, since the skin must “breathe”, and hygiene products can disrupt this process.
– Skin folds are lubricated with baby cream (for application under disposable diapers). It is better to wait until it is absorbed and then remove the excess. During this time, the child will receive a so-called air bath, which is very important for the prevention of diaper rash (the baby’s skin must be dry before using a new diaper).
– Disposable diapers should be changed at least 8 times a day, after waking up, before feeding, after bowel movements (and washing), before going for a walk, before going to bed at night. It is recommended to wear each of them for no more than 3 hours. Proper use of modern, high-quality diapers that retain moisture well does not harm the child’s health.
Consequences of poor hygiene
Diaper dermatitis (diaper rash) is a pathological condition of a child’s skin, provoked by exposure to physical, chemical and microbial factors when using diapers or disposable diapers. There is a rash, redness, itching in the perineal area, peeling of the skin of the buttocks.
If irritating factors are not eliminated, pustules, erosions and secondary infection may occur. In mild cases, skink, salicyl, and panthenol creams will help; frequent changes of “breathable” diapers and air baths are also recommended.
Synechia (from the Greek synecheia - “continuity”, “connection”, “adhesions”) are congenital or acquired fusions between neighboring organs. They occur in both girls (the labia minora are fused) and boys (the foreskin and glans penis are fused). This can lead to difficulty urinating and infection.
In girls, the occurrence of synechiae is associated with low levels of estrogens (female sex hormones), as well as with the presence of inflammation of the vulva. The labia come into contact, and as the mucous membrane heals, conditions are created for their fusion. Special wound-healing creams recommended by the doctor will help, which are applied in a thin layer after washing the synechiae. At night, a cream containing estrogen is applied in the same layer.
In boys (if there is no inflammation), it is recommended to separate synechiae after 5 years and later, since there is a possibility of their “self-destruction.” In general, for synechiae that do not cause any discomfort to the baby, you are better off choosing a wait-and-see approach. The more often they are separated, the greater the likelihood of their recurrence, and this can have a negative psychological impact on the child.
We monitor the hygiene of the child’s genital organs
It is necessary to undress the child daily on the changing table and examine the genitals, perineal skin, inguinal and intergluteal folds. If alarming signs or doubts appear, you should contact a pediatrician, pediatric gynecologist or urologist.
Warning signs:
– painful urination (before, during and after urination, the child winces, grunts, cries), acute urinary retention;
– change in the color of urine (usually it is pale yellow, in older age the urine is straw-yellow);
– redness, itching of the inguinal and intergluteal folds, skin and mucous membranes of the genital organs;
– unpleasant odor, discharge from the genital tract;
– suspicion of abnormal structure of the child’s organs, the presence of tumor-like formations or protrusions in the groin areas, scrotum (hernia).
You need to go to a pediatric gynecologist or ask your gynecologist what to do
Newborn babies are extremely vulnerable to the influence of external factors, so they need time to adapt to new conditions of existence outside the mother’s womb. Thus, babies in the first month of life require especially careful care and daily hygiene. The child should be washed, changed, his eyes washed and his nose cleaned. Doctors recommend that young mothers carefully examine the baby every day, paying special attention to the genital area, skin folds and perineum, in both girls and boys.
Carrying out daily care for the baby, the mother may notice some discharge. For example, in a newborn girl, they can be of a different nature, have a different consistency and color. In the vast majority of cases, these discharges represent a physiological norm and do not pose any danger. But there are also exceptions. In addition, discharge in newborn boys is also common. We suggest we talk about what you should pay attention to if children of both sexes have discharge of a different nature.
Most babies experience a so-called sexual or hormonal crisis in the first days of their lives. It can manifest itself in different ways, for example:
In some cases, signs of a pubertal crisis in babies disappear within a few days, while others can appear for weeks. This condition does not require any therapy and goes away on its own. Doctors explain it as a hormonal “cleansing” of the child’s body. During its intrauterine development, the fetus receives from the mother a very large amount of her sex hormones - estrogens. But after birth, a sharp decrease in the concentration of these substances occurs in the child’s body, which becomes the cause of a hormonal crisis. Pediatricians note that the peak of this condition occurs on days 6-8 of a baby’s life.
Around this time, and sometimes even earlier, spotting may occur in newborn girls, which is also one of the symptoms of a sexual crisis. This discharge may be beige, brown, pinkish or even red. Experienced pediatricians say that the condition of the surface of the baby’s genital organs (the cervix and the mucous membrane of her vagina) is as close as possible to the condition observed in an adult woman before menstruation. These discharges are called metrorrhagia of newborns and occur in approximately 4-9% of all babies.
Bloody discharge in girls disappears on its own after about 1-2 days. All that mother needs to do during this period is to carefully care for her genitals.
Sometimes when caring for newborn boys, mothers may notice a white discharge with a specific odor. This is smegma, which is a mixture of moisture, sebaceous gland secretions and dead epithelial cells that collect in the baby’s foreskin sac. According to pediatricians, this discharge is an absolutely natural and natural process, so a small amount of smegma in a baby is the norm, although there are exceptions.
If there is heavy discharge in a newborn boy, there is a risk of developing an infectious process that occurs as a result of the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms in the area of his foreskin.
It is important to note that it is not the discharge itself that should alert parents, but other signs, such as swelling of the skin of the penis during urination, redness or swelling of the foreskin. In these cases, the baby should be shown to a specialist.
In addition to newborn discharge, parents may also be wary of their baby's urine, which often takes on a brick or orange tint. There is no need to worry about this, since this phenomenon is called “uric acid infarction”, and, despite the terrible term, it does not pose any danger. This color is given to a child’s urine by urates, the salts it contains. With the establishment of lactation in a young mother and with the start of breastfeeding, the baby’s urine will lighten and take on a natural color.
Much more often than bloody discharge, normal white mucous discharge can be observed in newborns. They are remnants of vernix lubricant and resemble a sticky coating in the vagina and between the baby’s labia. Over time, they will disappear on their own, so under no circumstances should you try to remove them.
But in addition to this white discharge, newborn girls in the first days of their life may experience a condition called vulvovaginitis, which is a reaction to hormonal changes occurring in their body. In this case, the discharge may be gray, yellowish or transparent. But often this condition is characterized by white discharge in newborns. Sometimes they are accompanied by slight swelling of the external genitalia and, as a rule, disappear quite quickly - after a few days.
At the same time, parents should receive mandatory consultation with a pediatrician about their daughter’s health in the following cases:
