Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Oral Thrush in Babies

So we are treating kiddo #3 for thrush.  Not fun.  This is the white stuff that looks like milk but is not easily wiped off from baby's tongue or cheek.  Though fairly common, it is not harmful.  Sometimes thrush can be irritating during feeds and can become quite painful.    It is basically an overgrowth of yeast which normally lives in the mouth, intestines, and genital area.  A lot of times it will go away on its own after a few weeks.  However, in certain cases it may persist past months.  If that is the case your physician may prescribe an antifungal medication, nystatin, that you squirt or paint with a qtip in the mouth.


Other measures to prevent/treat thrush include:

  • sterilize all items that come in contact with baby's mouth (nipples, pacifiers, etc.)
  • treat mom if necessary with antifungal cream around nipples
Here is a helpful website with more info on this subject.