Pain in the vagina in the case of an 8 year old girl is something that needs to be investigated carefully. The pain may be readily apparent and may be accompanied by a discharge. It may be a subtle kind of pain, apparent only when the child walks with a limp.
In such cases you should consult your doctor or pediatrician before attempting any home remedies. The doctor will be able to diagnose the cause of your daughter’s vaginal pain after taking her complete history and performing a thorough physical examination. Treatment can commence once the underlying cause has been diagnosed.
Vaginal pain in a pre-pubertal girl can have many causes. The most common cause is vulvovaginitis. While it can affect women of all ages, young girls are at an increased risk of developing this condition due to the thin mucosal tissue with an alkaline pH, small labia inora and close proximity of the vagina to the anus. Vulvovaginitis may be caused by bacteria, viruses, yeasts and other parasites. Other causes include chemicals that are commonly found in soaps, perfumes and toiletries such as bubble baths. Poor hygiene and allergens may also be responsible for causing this condition. However, the most common cause of vaginal pain due to vulvovaginitis is Candida albicans, a yeast infection. This may be caused by pH imbalances in the vagina that lead to a proliferation of yeast. Antibiotic use may also be the culprit as it kills the antifungal bacteria that are found in the vagina.
Another cause of vaginal pain is Enterobius infestation. This is a pinworm infestation that leads to an inflammation in the vagina. This commonly occurs at night when the pinworms lay their eggs.
Insertion of foreign bodies into the vagina may also be a cause of your child’s pain. In such cases, pain in the vagina may be accompanied by abdominal pain and genital erythema. This cause may be tricky to diagnose as getting the child to admit that she has inserted a foreign object into her vagina may prove difficult.
Some of the other causes of vaginal pain include straddle injuries caused by bike riding and gymnastics or acrobatics, lichen sclerosis, labial fusion and urethral prolapse. Sexual abuse cannot be ruled out which is the reason why doctors have to take the child’s history with great care.
References:
- http://pediatrics.evms.edu/residency/resgoals/CAP/CAPResModern%20Medicine_%20Vaginal%20complaints%20in%20the%20prepubertal%20girl.pdf
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001899/
answered by G R