A two-year-old girl's mother was concerned that her daughter's vaginal opening appeared to be closed. The mother had noticed this a few months earlier when her daughter had severe diaper rash. The patient did not have urinary problems or vaginal discharge, and her birth and development histories were unremarkable. Genital examination revealed a thin vertical raphe over the site of the vaginal opening see accompanying figure. The labia majora were intact and separated, although only the upper third of the labia minora was identifiable.

Ambiguous genitalia is a birth defect where the outer genitals do not have the typical appearance of either a boy or a girl. The genetic sex of a child is determined at conception. The mother's egg cell contains an X chromosome , while the father's sperm cell contains either an X or a Y chromosome. These X and Y chromosomes determine the child's genetic sex. Normally, an infant inherits 1 pair of sex chromosomes, 1 X from the mother and 1 X or one Y from the father. The father "determines" the genetic sex of the child.

The female reproductive system consists of external parts outside of the body and internal organs inside the body. The major parts of the reproductive system are:. Skip to Content. Urgent Care.

First, take a deep breath. It can be scary for new parents to hear anything unexpected from a doctor once their baby is born. Unless something is hidden from view, right?