Kind of embarrassing, but my daughter (almost 3) has been complaining of her "butt" hurting for a few weeks. She has had a small external hemorrhoid since she was an infant. When I first noticed it, I asked the doctor and they said it couldn't be that and it might just be a skin tag. Now that she is older, it has grown larger. She recently had a few illnesses which required antibiotics which cause her to have a LOT of extra bowel movements. That was when the complaining started. Her pediatrician checked it out at her last visit and said it was ok to use some of the adult hemorrhoid cremes. They don't seem to really help. I have googled the issue and all of the things that it recommends don't really apply to us. She has never been constipated and has had very regular bowel movements her entire life. She does have what appear to be very large stools for such a little girl, though. She eats lots of fruits and some veggies every day. She drinks tons of water and no soda. She eats whole wheat breads and beans and I believe is getting sufficient fiber. There is never any blood in her stool but I do see the small protrusion. She complains about this so frequently though that I don't know what to do. She never complains when she's having fun or distracted but often when sitting in her car seat. I've read that sitting can aggravate it because of the additional pressure. Anyway, does anyone have ideas other than the creams which don't seem to be working. I will try more warm baths, but am otherwise at a loss.
I forgot I posted this but thought I should update everyone. Turns out she did not have a hemorrhoid at all - the doctor said she has like a skin tag back there. The doc did see a tiny cut which she thinks was caused by rough wiping and there was a bit of vaginal irritation. My daughter was almost 3 and got moved to the 3 year old room at her school early. She is potty trained but really isn't a great wiper and I fear she was balling up the paper too much and was getting fingers and fingernails involved when wiping (rather than covering her hand with the paper). The teachers will not help with wiping - the doc said the irritation was from moisture left down there. Soooo, we had lots of talks and demonstrations about how to wipe and how important it is to be gentle and to make sure it's dry and to wash hands and on and on and on. Anyway, everything is fine now :)
Have you tried witch hazel pads? They can be used like wipes and help to relieve the discomfort and reduce the size! You can find them in any drug store as well, not expensive either!
L.
Licensed Kindermusik Educator
Grow and Sing Studios
http://www.growandsing.com
look up anal fissure and see if it applies. really common to get them after antibiotic because the killing of natural gut floras from antibiotics can cause const.
Are you sure its the rectal area that's hurting? It could be her tailbone. There are cysts that form on the tailbone that can make it very painful to sit... I say this because you say she complains while in her car seat. Maybe buy one of those "rings" they use for the "roids" and put it in her car seat. You'll soon know if its a real pain or an imagined one. The "Tucks" pads work nicely, you can swipe that on her bottom or you can fold it and sort of tuck it into her crack where it can remain for awhile and soothe her.
Sorry for all the suffering. It sounds like you are paying attention to her needs which is awesome. I have some suggestions though. You mention she eats whole wheat breads. Breads are binding, flour is like glue in our system. People unfortunately believe because the bread says 'whole wheat' it's healthy. What's really healthy and will give her proper fiber is whole grains, real whole grains. There are tons out there. Try brown rice, millet, amaranth, barley, buckwheat. Don't get cracked whatever, get the real WHOLE grain. Quinoa is an amazing food, it's a complete protein and filled with nutrients of all kinds. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top, some hemp seeds (sounds crazy maybe but they are filled with protein and omega 3,6 AND 9). Maybe some tahini (calcium) and lemon juice with a tiny sprinkle of sea salt. Get her off flour products, processed foods of any kind and NO dairy. It's not healthy for a small child to have these problems. Also, perhaps she's having too many cold foods, is her water cold? You say she drinks tons of water, if it's anything but room temperature it's destroying her intestinal flora and messing up digestion. Someone suggested probiotics, good idea but make sure they are sugar and dairy free.
Find a Webster chiropractor, and have the structure of her pelvic girdle checked, this may normalize the nerve supply to the area.
best, k
I respect the Ped however sometimes it best to get another opinion. Remember your Ped is human and at times can make a human error. I'd to be safe check out a ped gastro dr.
My daughter has HUGE bowel movements. It is surprising sometimes that something so large can come out of something so small. Did the daughter say HOW a hemorrhoid can form in a small child? I hate to mention it, but is there anyway she could have gotten a wart there. I agree with the other post to have a second opinion taken.
Probiotics... I-Flora for Kids which you can get on Amazon. Also take her to a good cranial-sacral person to adjust her skull/hip structure. Something is not sitting right.
That really stinks and I'm sorry your little girl is going through this. I'm sorry I don't have ananswer but I would definitely suggest you find another doctor and get a second opinion. Best of luck!
