Don’t wash female babies’ genitals with medicated soap – Doctor

A paediatric doctor, Dr. Juliet Ochi, has urged mothers and care-givers to avoid the use of medicated soap in washing the genitals of their female babies to prevent infection.

Ochi, a doctor at the Enugu State Teaching Hospital, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Enugu.

According to her, it is better to use toilet soap.

“The genitals of the female have useful bacteria that protect it. The use of medicated soap could damage such bacteria, thereby causing an infection in that region.


“Medicated soap is meant for the skin. It is only on the prescription of a dermatologist that such soap should be used.

“Some (bacteria) are important and protect the region from contacting infection, so using medicated soap on it will mean removing them.

“Not all bacteria in the genital region are bad, some are very important and protect the vagina from germs.

“If you use medicated soap on the region, it means you are weakening the vagina’s defence system, thereby attracting infection to the region,’’ she said.

Ochi urged females to always use mild toilet soap when washing their genitals.
She explained that medicated soaps make the vagina unfavorable for the good bacteria, which could lead to candida, a fungus that causes yeast infection in females.(NAN)