Contents
In line with its mission, the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony makes every effort to provide reliable medical content supported by the latest scientific knowledge. The additional flag “Checked Content” indicates that the article has been reviewed by or written directly by a physician. This two-step verification: a medical journalist and a doctor allows us to provide the highest quality content in line with current medical knowledge.
Our commitment in this area has been appreciated, among others, by by the Association of Journalists for Health, which awarded the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony with the honorary title of the Great Educator.
Thrush is an oral cavity infection that affects up to 20% of people worldwide. Thrush usually appears in young children and infants as a result of a bacterial infection, but also due to the child’s reduced immunity, e.g. during teething. What are the causes, symptoms, and treatments for thrush in children?
The causes of thrush in children
Children’s thrush is caused by an infection with Candida albicans, which can be infected by a child for a variety of reasons. In the case of thrush in infants, infection may have occurred during childbirth due to a fungal infection of the reproductive tract in the child’s mother. Babies and toddlers are most at risk of developing thrush because their immune systems are not yet well developed, which also applies to premature babies. Another cause of thrush in children may be long-term illness and antibiotic therapy. Too long and frequent use of antibiotics in children causes that the bacteria responsible, among others, for the protection of the body, they are destroyed together with pathogenic bacteria, which as a side effect is a high risk of thrush in children. The most common cause of thrush in children is poor oral hygiene. It is very important to keep the teat, bottle or teether clean, which are in direct contact with the child’s mouth.
Symptoms accompanying the appearance of thrush in children
Thrush in children is always manifested by the appearance of a white coating located on the tongue, gums or the roof of the mouth. Often in infants, thrush is confused with milk or cottage cheese leftovers in the mouth after feeding. Thrush in children, when trying to remove them, turns into bleeding and sore erosions, which allows us to distinguish them from the remains after feeding. Initially, thrush in children is small and does not cause pain or discomfort. As the fungal infection develops or is neglected, thrush in children begins to spread, spreading to more areas in the mouth, causing difficulty swallowing and pain. With the advanced stage of thrush in children, we can observe irritability, anxiety, loss of appetite, vomiting and hoarseness.
Ways to treat thrush in children
Thrush in children does not cause negative complications, but they should be removed as soon as possible, because they cause pain, discomfort and make eating difficult. When children’s thrush occurs in the oral cavity and causes serious diseases, treatment is the topical application of nystatin antifungal solution. Helpful in getting rid of thrush in children are special sprays, lozenges, gels and mouthwashes, which we can buy at the pharmacy without a prescription. It is also a good idea to consult your doctor when you first notice thrush in your baby, especially if your baby is affected by this problem. When treating your child’s thrush, take care of proper oral hygiene and the cleanliness of the teat, bottle and other items that may come into direct contact with the child’s mouth. For rinsing the mouth infected with thrush, we can use chamomile, sage or a solution of hydrogen peroxide mixed with water.