Natural Birth and Baby Care.com

Labial Adhesions on a 10 Month Old

My infant is just 10 months old and the doctor just informed me she has labia adhesions.. he said to just wait to see if it goes away on its own, another doctor gave me the estrogen cream that when applied, helps to unseal the labia.

I want to know if anyone has experience with this?

Growing up as a child I think I had this, because at 3 years old they had to open up this area so I could urinate.. it was painful.

Right now,she doesn't seem to have any issues with urinating, they just wanted me to know. I don't mind treating her but wanted to see if anyone had an real knowledge on estrogen cream applied topically..

Thanks!

Answer:

I didn't have this issue with my own daughter, but it's pretty common, especially with little girls still in diapers.

From my research on the subject, an estrogen cream is both effective, and safe - in the short term. It will probably work quickly for your daughter to open up the adhesion.

However, sometimes adhesion re-occur and they tend to get less responsive to the cream if that happens. Plus, you don't want to keep using an estrogen cream over and over because you don't want to expose her to too many estrogens.

The best solution (besides the "wait and see" approach - which works for many girls but not all) is to use the cream once to re-open the adhesion, then keep the area lubricated so it doesn't re-seal.

I've heard several things for doing this - Vaseline, K-Y Jelly, etc. Something natural like Coconut Oil would be my first choice for an infant - it would be gentle on her skin by also keep her skin from sticking together.

I would also recommend you give her as much time diaper free as you possible can. An option related to that is using a loose cloth diaper without a cover - that will absorb any liquid and catch any bowel movements, but it will also be much looser and not keep all her "girl parts" squished together.

You can try a part-time elimination communication routine, too. Put her on a little potty every time you start a "diaper free" time, or every time you go to the bathroom (put her on a little potty facing you while you're on the big toilet). This is just a gentle way to introduce the concept of the potty and it could save you from some accidents while she's diaperless.

Be sure to re-apply lubricant each time you change her diaper, and watch for any signs of irritation.