Guest Post
Thrush is a common illness that occurs in children. If you notice a white patch on the inside of her cheek that wasn’t there before, there might be a problem. Inspect her mouth to see if you can find additional patches on the tongue and under the lips. Once you’re certain it’s not milk, it’s time to investigate the possibility that your baby has thrush.
What Is Thrush?
According to many NY Pediatric Dentist practices, thrush is a term used to describe an overgrowth of a particular kind of yeast in a baby’s mouth. The yeast is called candida, and it’s not a yeast exclusive to babies. It’s something that many mothers can unknowingly infect their baby with – even if the mother is not infected herself. Occasionally, the yeast grows so much, that white patches appear on the inside of baby’s mouth.
What Causes It?
Sometimes, the exact cause of thrush isn’t known. The normal bacteria that live in the mouth usually keep the yeast from overgrowing. However, they compete for space in the microbiota. If your diet is unbalanced, or you are feeding other foods that may disrupt the normal bacteria in baby’s system, thrush might take hold.
Antibiotics are another cause of thrush development – because they wipe out all bacteria, even friendly ones. This, in turn, can allow pathogenic bacteria to get a head start on taking over the mouth. And, this is how mothers can infect baby unknowingly. Most moms want the best for their child. When they’re sick, they listen to their doctor when it comes to prescription medications. But, it’s important to demand to know the side effects of those meds (there are always side effects) so that you can help baby recover quickly and rebuild any lost bacterial counts and species.
How To Treat It
Treating thrush can be difficult. In general, you should always treat baby, even when symptoms have resolved or haven’t surfaced, but when you know that you have an infection. Acidophilus is a very important natural remedy for just about any yeast infection.
You can also use white vinegar on your nipples after feeding, Nystatis anti-fungal cream after feeding, Clortrimazole anti-fungal cream, or hydrocortisone ointment (when not using nystatin). You can also try a stronger prescription if the infection is really bad – something like Diflucan.
Finally, don’t forget to sterilize baby’s toys and bottles as well as pacifiers.
Notes On Breastfeeding
If you’re sick, your baby will also tend to get sick with you – especially if you’re breastfeeding. Yeast can be passed back and forth between you and your nipples. If the yeast infects the skin around the nipples, then baby can become reinfected quite easily. Usually, the infection starts out mildly, but it can turn into a chronic, itchy, and painful problem over time.
Because thrush can be difficult to eliminate, you should try to treat it as early as possible. If you have sore nipples, red or pink nipples, itchy or burning nipples, even when not feeding baby, deep, shooting, breast pain after feedings, or puffy, dry, or flaky nipples, it’s time to see the doctor.
Robert Ander is an experienced pediatric dental researcher. He often writes about usual concerns and questions parents have about their children’s dental health.
