Various secretions from the genital tract in newborn girls and girls. Is it necessary to sound the alarm? Natural discharge in newborns

A newborn baby is very vulnerable to external influences. He needs time to adapt to the new conditions of existence outside the womb. During this period, the baby should be carefully looked after, making daily hygiene. The baby needs to be washed, changed clothes, clean the nose and rinse the eyes. Pediatricians advise new mothers to carefully examine the baby every day, paying special attention to the genital area, perineum, and skin folds.

Carrying out daily care for the baby, the mother can detect vaginal discharge in a newborn girl. They can be of a very different nature, have a different color and texture. In the vast majority of cases, such discharges are a physiological norm and do not pose any danger. But there are exceptions.

Most babies experience a sexual crisis, also called a hormonal crisis, in the first days and weeks of their lives. It can be expressed in different ways: acne appears on the body of the child; the mammary glands of the crumbs become rough, and a liquid like colostrum can even be released from them; the genitals (in both boys and girls) may swell and become inflamed.

Some manifestations of a sexual crisis disappear within a few days, others appear for weeks or even months. This condition does not require any treatment and goes away on its own. And it is explained by the hormonal "cleansing" of the baby's body. During the period of intrauterine development, babies receive from their mothers a large amount of sex hormones, the concentration of which rapidly increases before childbirth. Immediately after childbirth, the level of these hormones (estrogens) in the child's body drops sharply and continues to decline for some time. The peak of the sexual crisis occurs at the end of the first week of a baby's life.

Around this time, and sometimes even in the maternity hospital, a mother may notice in her little daughter bloody issues from the vagina, which is also one of the manifestations of a hormonal crisis. They can be brown, beige, pinkish or even red, similar to the discharge during menstruation in women. By the way, the state of the surface of the uterus, cervix and vaginal mucosa of the baby during this period is as close as possible to the premenstrual in an adult woman.

Such discharge is called neonatal metrorrhagia. They are observed in 4-9% of newly-made babies.

Bloody discharge in a newborn girl disappears on its own after 1-2 days. All that mom needs to do during this period is just to carefully look after the genitals of the baby, while not being zealous.

It should be noted that often in newborns, urine is also pink, or rather, it acquires a brick or orange color. You should not worry about this either: this phenomenon is called a uric acid infarction, and, despite the terrible term, it does not pose anything dangerous. The characteristic color of the urine of a baby is given by the urate salts contained in it. Normally, the baby's urine will brighten and acquire a natural color when the mother begins to breastfeed, that is, when the milk comes (4-6 days after birth).

Mucous discharge from the vagina of a newborn girl

Much more common than bloody, there are ordinary mucous discharges in newborn girls, resembling leucorrhoea. Often, a sticky white coating in the vagina and between the labia crumbs is the remnants of the original lubricant. They will clean up on their own over time: in no case do you need to make an effort to remove them.

But also often in babies in the first weeks of life, vulvovaginitis develops as a reaction to hormonal changes. Vaginitis discharge in newborn girls is white, gray, yellowish, light or just transparent. Sometimes they are accompanied by a slight swelling of the vulva, but normally any vaginal discharge should disappear after a few days.

During this period (and beyond), the girl's genitals need to be looked after and observed very carefully. It is possible and necessary to wash a newborn girl by directing water and hand movements only in the direction from front to back. Be sure to perform this manipulation several times a day, but do not use any special cosmetics. Even herbal decoctions and infusions are not recommended for these purposes, as they can dry out the delicate mucous membrane of the genital organs of the baby.

During hygiene procedures, very carefully, slightly push the baby's labia apart - this will help prevent their likely fusion (this occurs in infants). And, of course, any healthy newborn baby will benefit from air baths: let the baby enjoy the freedom from diapers and diapers for a few minutes.

If you are still confused by something in the sexual health of a newborn daughter, then it is better to consult a pediatrician on this matter. Also, the baby must be shown to the doctor if:

• vaginal discharge has the color and / or smell of purulent;
• copious amounts of mucus are secreted from the vagina;
• any vaginal discharge does not disappear after a few days;
• vaginal discharge is accompanied by inflammation of the girl's genitals;
• the child expresses obvious anxiety and discomfort, especially at the time of urination (the baby screams, cries, frowns, arches);
• the urine of the newborn darkened, contains blood impurities;
• vaginal discharge appeared in a girl older than 2 months;
• there are suspicions of pathology in the structure of the genital organs of the child.

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The most important thing in the implementation of the hygiene of the girl is to wash strictly in the direction from front to back, from the pubis to the priest, in order to prevent feces from entering the genitals and not to provoke inflammation. This rule also applies to cleaning with wet wipes. The labia should be washed mainly from the outside: it is often undesirable to wipe them from the inside so as not to irritate the mucous membrane once again.

For hygiene procedures, you can use plain warm water; you should not add any antiseptics to the water. Use soap (better - a special baby cream soap) is not more than 1-2 times a week, thoroughly washing it off. Baby's skin is covered with a thin oily film, and the use of soap breaks the protective layer and can lead to irritation. After the baby, do not wipe, but gently blot with a soft cloth.

At the first bath, it may be difficult to remove the original lubricant that has accumulated in the area of ​​the labia. It is a good breeding ground for bacteria, so you need to thoroughly rinse all the folds in the intimate area. If you can’t remove it completely, you can put a little baby cleansing oil on a cotton pad and gently wipe everything from front to back.

Do not worry if you notice a white or bloody discharge from the genitals of a newborn girl. This sexual crisis is a normal phenomenon in girls of the first month of life, the cause of which is mother's hormones that enter the child's body through milk. During this period, it is enough to observe normal hygiene, additional care is not required.

Often young parents are afraid of orange spots on the inside of the diaper. This manifestation of uric acid infarction or urinal diathesis can occur in the first week of life due to the immaturity of the urinary system. This condition quickly passes by itself and does not affect the functioning of the kidneys in the future.

If a girl is worried or crying before she is going to pee, then most often this is due to inflammation in the urethra or the canal itself. The cause of the inflammation may be an infection or an allergy. First aid in such cases is the elimination of overheating, since when the temperature rises, the vaginal mucus thickens and its protective properties decrease. Try changing the brand of diapers - soaking them can cause skin reactions. Wash during this period only with boiled water, completely eliminate soap. And, of course, you should contact a pediatric gynecologist.

Some parents may encounter such a problem as synechia - fusion of the labia minora. They (sinechia) occur due to a lack of sex hormones or inflammation caused by both insufficient (infection) and excessive (damage to the natural protective layer) hygiene. Also, the appearance of synechia can provoke allergic reactions to food, household chemicals, dysbacteriosis, worms, poor-quality or tight clothing. Not a single girl under 6-8 years old is insured from them.

If you notice that your daughter has “glued” labia, see a doctor as soon as possible to avoid complications - an infection easily develops in the accumulated secretions. A pediatric gynecologist will help determine the cause of the disease and prescribe treatment depending on the severity of the case. The fusion may be partial or complete, overlapping the urethra. In case of incomplete union, if it does not interfere with urination, topical preparations will be offered, with which parents can treat the girl at home on their own. In the case of complete fusion, the help of a surgeon is required - he will either separate the synechiae with his hands, or, in difficult cases, with a scalpel under local anesthesia. After such an operation, the child will need treatment with special ointments so that a relapse does not occur.

Prevention of the occurrence of synechia and inflammation preceding them consists in regular examination of the girl's genitals, hygiene and tracking food allergens. It would not be superfluous to exclude synthetic underwear, especially underwear. And you should not let the baby sit with her bare booty on the sofa, floor, ground and any other surfaces whose cleanliness is questionable.

For newly-made parents, hygiene of the child's genitals often becomes a certain difficulty when caring for a baby.
However, the granite of the science of child hygiene becomes malleable after mastering the theory and a few practical exercises. With proper treatment of skin folds, many "non-childish" problems in babies 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 stool, as well as before a night's sleep (during the evening bathing, the water temperature is 36.0 - 37.0 C) in order to remove the remains of 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) need washing more often.

What is the best way to wash? It is desirable to carry out the procedure with ordinary warm running water (at the same time, an adult must wash his hands thoroughly in advance). You can use baby soap or special baby bath products.

Adult products are not suitable, they dry the delicate skin of the child 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.

How right? The child should be put on the hand of an adult with the tummy down, bring the buttocks under the stream of water, with the free hand moving from front to back, from the pubis to the anus, wash the genitals (labia, penis, scrotum) and skin folds. And only so! This is especially true for the hygiene of girls, otherwise intestinal microbes can enter the vagina and urinary tract.

Some experts advise boys to wash the penis without moving the foreskin, others recommend gently exposing the glans as far as the foreskin's distensibility allows. Therefore, it is better to select the appropriate treatment option for the boy's genital organs, taking into account his physiological characteristics.

The head is washed with water or treated with baby oil, then the foreskin is returned to its place. If it does not allow you to open the head, you do not need to do it forcibly, otherwise an infringement 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 gently blot the moisture in the perineum.
- Any children's cosmetics must be tested on the skin of an adult before use on a baby. To do this, you need to grind a small amount of the product on the skin of the elbow bend and observe the reaction. After 5-10 minutes, redness or a rash should not appear in that place. In addition, pediatricians advise applying baby cream, talcum powder, oil, etc., first on the mother’s palms and only then on the baby’s covers. If the baby's skin is healthy (velvety, pink), it makes no sense to overuse children's 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 baby will receive the so-called air bath, which is very important for the prevention of diaper rash (before using a new diaper, the baby's skin must be dry).
- Change disposable diapers at least 8 times a day, after waking up, before feeding, after stool (and washing), before going for a walk, before going to bed at night. It is recommended to wear each of them no more than 3 hours. The correct use of modern, high-quality diapers that retain moisture well does not harm the health of the child.

Consequences of poor hygiene
Diaper dermatitis (diaper rash) is a pathological condition of the child's skin, provoked by the influence of physical, chemical and microbial factors when using diapers or disposable diapers. There is a rash, redness, itching in the perineum, peeling of the skin of the buttocks.

If irritating factors are not eliminated, pustules, erosions and secondary infection may occur. In mild cases, creams with skink, salicyl, panthenol will help, frequent changes of "breathing" diapers and air baths are also shown.

Synechia (from the Greek synecheia - "continuity", "connection", "adhesions") - congenital or acquired splicing between adjacent organs. They occur both in girls (the labia minora are fused) and in boys (the foreskin and the head of the penis are fused). This can lead to difficulty urinating and infection.

In girls, the occurrence of synechia is associated with low levels of estrogens (female sex hormones), as well as with the presence of inflammation of the vulva. The labia are in contact, and when 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 on the synechia. 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-liquidation". In general, with synechia that does not cause any discomfort to the baby, it is better for you to choose expectant tactics. The more often they are separated, the greater the likelihood of their repetition, and this can have a negative psychological impact on the child.

We monitor the hygiene of the child's genitals
It is necessary to undress the child daily on the changing table and examine the genitals, perineal skin, inguinal and intergluteal folds. If there are warning signs, doubts, you should contact a pediatrician, pediatric gynecologist or urologist.

Warning signs:

- painful urination (before, during and after urination, the child frowns, groans, cries), acute urinary retention;
- change in the color of urine (usually it is pale yellow, at an 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 an abnormal structure of the child's organs, the presence of tumor-like formations or protrusions in the inguinal regions, scrotum (hernia).

You need to go to a pediatric gynecologist or ask your gynecologist what to do

The daily hygiene of the child is mandatory, especially carefully watched by the parents of girls. Often, worried mothers turn to the doctor with questions about a light coating on the labia of the baby and the surface of the diaper. As a rule, clear and white discharge in girls is considered normal and does not require any treatment. But, starting from a certain age, such symptoms become pathological and require a consultation with a pediatric gynecologist.

White discharge in newborn girls

In the first few weeks after the birth of the baby, the hormonal background of the baby changes a lot. This is due to the fact that on the eve of childbirth in her blood there is a large amount of estrogens that came from the mother through the placenta. Moreover, the reproductive system, especially the uterus, is already able to respond to the presence of sex hormones. After birth, on about 3-4 days, the concentration of estrogen in the blood of a little girl quickly decreases, since the mother's body now produces prolactin, which is necessary for normal lactation. The described hormonal difference provokes white discharge from the vagina in a child, often with scant blood impurities.

This process is absolutely normal and does not require any additional measures other than normal hygiene. Do not worry, often wash or try to clean the labia with crumbs with cotton swabs, this can harm the skin and mucous membranes.

It is worth noting that the considered symptoms disappear on their own and rather quickly, up to the age of 1-3 months.

Why can a girl have discharge?

After a hormonal crisis, the secretion of white mucus in girls does not stop completely. Of course, the microflora is just beginning to form and this process will finally be completed by about 8 years (the onset of puberty), but the surface of the vagina is not sterile. It always contains a certain amount of coccal bacteria that make up the normal flora. In addition, mucus is secreted daily and dead epithelium is rejected. Therefore, a certain amount of light spots are found on the panties and diapers of little girls every day. If these signs do not cause inconvenience and discomfort to the baby, the discharge is odorless, the vagina and labia do not itch - everything is in order.

In other situations, especially in the presence of pathological symptoms (itching, swelling, redness), you should immediately contact a pediatric gynecologist. The doctor will analyze the smear obtained from the vagina and, if pathogenic microflora is found, will recommend adequate therapy.

How to treat discharge in girls?

In some cases, babies develop a genital infection. It is provoked:

• insufficient hygiene;
• bacteria brought from the rectum;
• enterobiasis;
• candidiasis ().

The last reason, a fungal infection, often occurs due to prolonged use of antibiotics, allergies to the components of hygiene cosmetics, and reduced immunity.

Treat heavy discharge in girls only after consulting a pediatric gynecologist. First, a smear from the vagina is analyzed - a bacterial culture is done to determine the sensitivity of the flora to different types of antibiotics. After determining the causative agent of the infection, the doctor selects a course of therapy, which includes antibacterial or antifungal drugs. At the same time, it is important to protect the liver with hepatoprotectors and take care of the colonization of the mucous membranes with useful lactobacilli. Additionally, it is recommended to take pre-and, to normalize the intestinal microflora.

Any discharge in newborn girls quite often causes a lot of concern for mothers. As a rule, they are not a pathology and occur as a result of hormonal failure. But it should be noted that the child cannot complain, so parents need to carefully monitor his condition.

Types of secretions

In newborn girls, vaginal discharge in most cases is the norm and does not pose a danger or harm to health. They can have different viscosity, color and composition. There are the following types:

1. Bloody issues. They are observed mainly on the 3rd - 7th day after childbirth and are the result of a sexual or hormonal crisis. This is explained by the fact that a woman before childbirth has an increase in the level of female sex hormones (prostaglandin and estrogen), which, in the future, enter the body of the fetus. At this stage, the reproductive system of the mother and baby reacts equally to the surge of hormones, so the latter also has an overgrowth of the mucous membrane of the walls of the uterus (endometrium). After the child is born, he has a sharp decrease in the amount of estrogen, due to the loss of communication with the mother's body (the child's ovaries are not yet able to produce it). This leads to the rejection of the upper layer of the endometrium, and, consequently, the appearance of liquid blood spots. During this period, no treatment is required and it is enough to carefully monitor the hygiene of the genital organs in order to prevent their infection. Bleeding stops after a few days.
2. White discharge. Accumulate between the small and large labia. They are also formed as a result of a sexual crisis and are produced by the walls of the vagina in response to the action of the hormones prolactin and progesterone. In this case, you should not make excessive efforts to remove the secretory fluid, since there is a high risk of injury to the mucosa or infection. It is enough to regularly wash the child with warm boiled water.
3. Yellow highlights. Observed in newborns (regardless of gender) in the first days of life after childbirth. In medicine, this phenomenon is called uric acid infarction, and does not pose any danger to the health of the child. They are formed due to the content of urate salt in the urine. In rare cases, the secretory fluid turns a bright orange color and disappears on its own after the start of breastfeeding.

It should be remembered that regardless of whether a discharge is observed in a newborn girl or not, thorough 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 decoction of chamomile).

How to deal with discharges

In the case when discharge was found in a newborn girl, the following recommendations should be followed:

• carefully observe the rules of sexual hygiene;
• do not use with regular washing of grass (this leads to dry skin and mucous membranes of the child);
• observe the correct washing technique - first of all, the genitals are washed, and then the anus;
• regularly push the labia apart (this will avoid their splicing);
• more often give the skin and genitals to breathe, freeing them from diapers;
• do not remove white plaque between the labia.
• use exclusively boiled water for washing (in the absence of allergic reactions, a weak decoction of chamomile is allowed).

When should you see a doctor?

A pediatric gynecologist should be contacted immediately if the discharge in girls does not stop for a long time (the sexual crisis can last no more than 6-8 weeks). Also, the following symptoms may be a reason to see a doctor:

• pain and cramps at the time of urination (the child may writhe, arch, scream or cry);
• change in the color of the urine of a newborn (darkening or the content of blood droplets in it);
• inflammatory processes in the genitals of the child;
• purulent smell or greenish tint of secretory fluid;
• suspicions of the presence of violations of the anatomical structure of the genital organs;
• the appearance of discharge in a girl over the age of two months;
• mucous discharge has become profuse;
• prolonged continuation of vaginal discharge (more than three days).

Only a doctor can select the necessary medications and prescribe competent therapy, since an individual approach is needed, taking into account the age of the child and his general condition. It is imperative to identify the causative agent of vulvovaginitis and determine its sensitivity to antibiotics.