Thrush in a newborn baby is considered the most common disease. Usually in all children, to one degree or another, this disease is manifested. From a scientific point of view, the disease is called Candidomycous stomatitis, because it is formed from the fungus Candida.
This fungus always lives on the mucous, but most often its reproduction and growth is suppressed by other microorganisms. But if the balance of microflora is greatly disturbed, then this fungus begins to multiply rapidly, which leads to the appearance of thrush.
Most often thrush in infants appears during teething or when the baby begins to crawl or walk. At this time, he pulls into his mouth all that he caught the eye. Sometimes the thrush in the tongue of the infant appears in the maternity hospital, at the moment when the mother has thrush and during childbirth it is passed on to the baby. The disease usually occurs in children under two years of age.
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The main symptom of thrush is white bloom on the tongue. Then there are small white spots on the mucous: the sky, cheeks, gums. If you remove this plaque, then there will be seen red.
The child begins to act up, suck the breast or the bottle badly, because during sucking he feels a strong pain. After some time, small spots begin to grow, and a curd-like bloom develops.
Sometimes the thrush can be confused with the remnants of milk in the mouth, but if you try to remove the bloom with a teaspoon, it looks like curdled pieces, and the mucous membrane will remain inflamed. The remains of milk themselves disappear after a while.
At an early stage, the disease may not disturb the infant, but then it becomes restless, and this already indicates that it is time to begin treatment for thrush.
Causes
The causes of thrush in infants can be many, but it should be borne in mind that all people on Earth are carriers of this type of fungus. If immunity falls, then the fungus begins to develop. All babies have weak immunity, but in order for the baby to be fully grown it takes some time, this is especially noticeable in premature babies.
Besides that baby can get thrush from mother during childbirth also thrush can trap him at home. Fungi love an acidic environment, and regurgitation of a newborn is an excellent breeding ground for them. Also, infants like to put their hands in the mouth and different objects, which means that the cause of thrush can be improper hygiene and dirty objects.
Candida mushrooms also adore sweets, and if the mother gives the baby a sweetened mixture or water, then they will begin to multiply. When breastfeeding mother taking antibiotics is also the cause of thrush in the baby.
About up to six months thrush in the child’s tongue is considered normal, therefore, it is necessary to take care of him and follow. Do not forget that sometimes a more dangerous disease is hidden under the guise of thrush, so you should never self-medicate, but rather consult a pediatrician. The doctor will determine the cause of the disease, and then prescribe proper treatment. The treatment of thrush in the tongue and mouth is a pediatric dentist.
Another cause of oral candidiasis is a condition after surgery, chronic indigestion, hypovitaminosis, anemia, pronounced rickets, dysbacteriosis (the intestinal microflora is disturbed and its environment changes, which contributes to the development of harmful bacteria). It also includes chronic infections, diabetes, improper metabolism and all other diseases that lead to a decline in the protective functions of the body of a young child.
It is too early for many mothers to add to the diet of a newborn other food and mixtures that are known to contain sugar. The level of sugar in the body of the baby increases, and at the same time the acidity of the normal environment of the body changes, which contributes to the reproduction of fungi.
In some cases the cause of infection is the medical staff or other people who are close to the newborn. People can be carriers of any form of candidiasis, and the baby quickly catches the disease. Malicious fungi can be transmitted through hands, ventilators, nipples, diapers, and endotracheal tubes.
Treatment
If you find a cheesy bloom on the tongue of the infant, then don't panic right away. In newborns, the disease is easily treatable, but it must be borne in mind that all doctor's prescriptions must be followed and followed until full recovery.
Most often, the pediatrician prescribes drugs based on nystatin, but sometimes other medications are required, it all depends on the severity of the disease. The danger is that it is common for thrush to spread quickly and there is a chance that the child may carry another infection. Antifungal ointments and solutions are used for its treatment. The duration of treatment is on average 10 days. Ointment should be applied with a cotton swab to the entire mucosa of the mouth and tongue several times a day.
Usually the doctor prescribes such drugs as Diflucan or Diflazon. They should be taken orally and given to the baby with a syringe. Thus, along with local oral treatments, you should also take the medication by mouth.
But it happens that there is no possibility to go to the doctor or the disease caught up on weekends. It is allowed to use folk remedies to alleviate the condition of the infant for some time.
Folk treatment
Slightly facilitate and remove white bloom from the mucous will help regular baking soda. From it is necessary to prepare a solution. To do this, take boiled warm water and pour it into a glass, then add 1 teaspoon of soda and mix well.
Then you need to take a bandage and wind it on your finger, wet it in a solution and wipe the surface of the baby's tongue and cheeks. It should be noted that it is impossible to remove the raid by force, because there is inflammation under it and if you do it on purpose, the plaques can start to bleed and if this happens, then the pathogenic bacteria can enter the body of the newborn. It is necessary to do this procedure 4 times a day every 3 hours for several days.
Another effective folk treatment for thrush infants is honey. It is much more pleasant to the taste and the baby will open his mouth to lubricate the oral cavity with honey solution. To make it you need to take one teaspoon of honey and stir in two teaspoons of warm water. But you should remember, this medicine is contraindicated for those children who are allergic to honey. Honey has antimicrobial properties, so quickly and without pain, destroy harmful microbes.
If the thrush in infants is just beginning, then with artificial feeding you can give the child a nipple or bottle dipped in soda or honey solution. But when breastfeeding this manipulation needs to be done with the nipple.
Tips during treatment
To prevent the formation of thrush in the tongue and mucous membranes in the newborn, you should follow some tips:
- before giving the nipple the baby should boil it or at least wet it in any of the solutions mentioned above;
- it is also worth treating with soda solution or boiling all the baby’s toys that he can take in his mouth;
- In addition to the baby, the treatment should be done by the mother. Before and after feeding you should always treat the breast with medicinal solutions;
- if the treatment was taken on time and all hygiene rules are observed, then the signs of thrush will disappear after 3 days, but despite this, the course of treatment still needs to be completed to the end, so that the disease does not return again.
Prevention
Up to six months, a newborn baby has a great chance of getting thrush, because this is the time when the baby’s body is growing rapidly, but at the same time immunity is only beginning to be developed. At this time, it is best to secure the baby and follow the rules that will help avoid this disease:
- You should always wash your breasts before breastfeeding.
- After feeding, you must give your baby warm boiled water. She will allow to wash away the milk remains in a mouth of the child. And when he burp, then also give some water to drink.
- Keep the hygiene not only of the child, but also of your own, wash your hands more often.
- If it happened that the thrush still overtook the baby, then after recovery, you need to try so that she does not return again. Constantly boil nipples, bottles, toys and all other objects that surround the baby. If it is impossible to sterilize items, then you just need to process them with soda.
There is a group of newborns, which refers to an increased risk of infection with this disease. These children must pass candidal preventive examination:
- children who were born from a mother suffering from thrush, as well as obstetric and gynecological history;
- premature babies or immature babies who have been diagnosed with various defects and deformities at birth;
- children who suffer from breathing problems after birth, encephalopathy and those who have suffered a birth trauma.
All of the above newborns must undergo bacteriological and microscopic examination during the first 7 days after birth. If they have candidiasis, antifungal therapy is necessarily carried out. Treatment is prescribed for the severity of the disease. In addition, you need to keep track of the number of fungi in the coprogram.
Responsible parents who are not indifferent to the health of the newborn should never forget that with untimely or incomplete treatment of thrush in infants turn into serious consequences or the return of the disease again. You should take care of the baby’s health and protect him from the disease in advance, than to engage in treatment.