My 10-year-old daughter has had about 48 hours of very uncomfortable vaginal itching, burning, etc. I think it may be a yeast infection, but can a girl this young get one? It's summertime, and she spends a lot of time in the pool. Could this cause a yeast infection? I will talk with her pediatrician, but I want to know all options for treating a yeast infection in a girl this young. I know it would be difficult to make her use the Monistat-type treatments. Is there an oral option?

T.H.

People of all ages can get yeast infections, even infants and 10-year-olds. In the summer, hanging around in a wet bathing suit throughout the hot day, eating ice cream and other sweets, creates ideal conditions for yeast to grow. The symptoms are similar to what one would expect in an adult -- itching, burning and sometimes a cottage-cheese-like discharge. Treatment is similar as well. Topical creams like Monistat can be used externally and often provide good relief. Oral nystatin is often used to treat cases in children.

Yeast isn't the only possibility to explain your daughter's symptoms, so she should be examined by her pediatrician or your gynecologist. Bacterial infections can also produce itching and burning. Not infrequently, I see a young girl with an infection caused by wiping back to front, a habit that can introduce rectal bacteria into the vagina. A course of antibiotics and a lesson in proper hygiene (always wiping front to back) will clear this up. Sometimes, a foreign object in the vagina can cause an infection. This is more common in younger girls, but a 10-year-old may insert a crayon or other object, too. A final, and unpleasant, consideration is that of sexual abuse, which is another reason why an exam is necessary.