When changing a baby girl’s diaper, parents often wonder if they need to spread the labia and wipe out anything that might have found its way in there. When our daughter was a baby, we would usually wipe “in there”. But, I see many babies during check-up that have lingering stool that was left in there – and these kids usually do NOT have any problems like bladder infections. So, I have usually thought that it probably does not matter if you deep wipe or not. Most diaper creams will not be harmful if they are placed inside the labia. However, if irritation is occurring, then it could be the cream. Another frequent cause of irritation is bubble baths or simply soaking in the soapy water. When a young girl is getting vaginal irritations – I usually recommend no soap or bubbles in the bath, and use the soap in the shower, or at the very end of bath time to minimize the time spent soaking in the soapy water.

Dr. Jim