Is it normal for baby's private parts to smell?

For young babies, parents need to take good care of them in daily life, because the baby's body is still relatively small and it is easy to be infected by diseases or bacteria. Some baby girls suffer from gynecological diseases due to the negligence of their parents. Therefore, if parents find that their baby’s private parts have an odor, they should pay attention. Because it is not normal for your baby's private parts to have a smell.

1. Vulvitis in female infants

Possible symptoms: redness, swelling and burning of the vulva, difficulty urinating, and crying. If the symptoms of vulvitis in a baby girl are severe, thick yellow fluid with an odor may flow out of the baby's vagina. If vulvitis in female babies is not treated promptly, it may cause vaginitis over time.

Recommendation: If your baby shows the above symptoms, you need to take her to the hospital for treatment in time. Your doctor may prescribe topical medications and advise you to keep your baby's vulva clean and dry.

Possible symptoms: Labia minora adhesion is characterized by the fusion of the baby's two labia minora, and the vaginal opening cannot be seen from the outside. This is usually caused by repeated irritation of vulvitis and vaginitis. Babies with labia minora adhesions can still urinate, but the urine stream tends to be thinner.

But unlike congenitally absent vagina in baby girls, if your baby has adhesion of labia minora, careful observation will reveal that the labia minora are connected by a layer of gray, slightly transparent film, rather than having no vaginal opening.

What you should do: If you observe that your baby's labia minora are stuck together, do not try to separate them by force. Instead, take her to the hospital immediately. Labia minora adhesion generally does not require surgical treatment. The doctor can separate them manually, and generally no potential hidden dangers will be left.

3. Cutaneous candidiasis

Candida is a type of fungus. Cutaneous candidiasis is an infection with Candida species that spreads into the cracks or crevices of the skin, causing inflammation of the skin. After being infected with Candida albicans, the skin will turn red, develop many small bumps, peel, and even become red, swollen, and rotten with small blisters or pustules. If you mistake it for diaper rash and apply steroids, the symptoms will become worse. So don't give your baby any medicine at will, but ask the doctor to confirm it first.

Treatment: If it is just redness without swelling, just keep the reddened skin clean and it will heal naturally. However, if the redness and swelling are severe, you should apply antifungal ointment under the guidance of a doctor. It usually takes 1 to 2 weeks to heal.

Editor's words

If a baby girl's private parts have an odor, it may be vulvitis, it may be sticky labia minora, or it may be skin candidiasis. The symptoms are very similar. It is best to take the baby to the hospital for diagnosis and use medication under the doctor's advice. Diseases in the private parts of baby girls are closely related to improper cleaning. Mothers should learn more about how to clean their baby’s private parts.