Outcomes with the use of Petroleum Jelly for Fused Labia in Pediatric Age Group

Abstract

Introduction: The merging of the labia is known as fused labia or labial adhesion. In the literature, several management strategies have been put forth.Betamethasone cream, estrogen cream, manual separation, and surgery are frequently employed interventions. My study's objective is to determine how applying petroleum jelly to patients with fused labia after physical separation affects their results.

Study design: Descriptive Longitudinal study.

Settings: Pediatric Surgery Department, Faisalabad Medical University, Faisalabad.

Study duration :April 2025 to June 2025.

Materials & Methods: 50 females of 1 month to 12 years who underwent manual separation at Pediatric surgery floor were included. Patients with precocious puberty, ambiguous genitalia, other related genitourinary tract and anorectal abnormalities, and those who had previously received betamethasone or local estrogen therapies were not included. Parents were informed about local hygiene and taught to apply petroleum jelly three times a day for six weeks, and follow up was done at 1 ,3 and 6 weeks.

Results: Fifty female of age 1 month to 12 years with mean age 3.22 ± 2.15 years, were included in the study.  In total, parents concern (48.0%) was found to be the most common presenting complaint followed by cosmesis (15.0%) and recurrent UTI (22.0%). Degree II was the most prevalent severity degree (40.0%). Complete resolution at 1 week was seen in 92.0%, at 3 weeks in 94.0% and at 6 weeks 90.0% patients.  Out of the 50 cases, five (10.0%) experienced recurrence, and they resumed the same treatment.

Conclusion: This study concluded that there is completely resolvedfused labia with use of petroleum jelly in pediatric age group.