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How to cure thrush in a baby’s mouth? Video
Thrush, or oral candidiasis, is one of the most common diseases that occur in children under six months of age. In most cases, it responds well to treatment at home, and it can be carried out with both medication and folk remedies.
How to cure thrush in a baby’s mouth?
Causes of thrush in an infant
The causative agent of thrush is a fungus of the genus Candida, which belongs to conditionally pathogenic flora and is present in small quantities in the body of even completely healthy people. With the intensive growth and reproduction of the fungus in the mouth of the baby, a white bloom appears, similar to curdled milk. With a shallow lesion of the mucous membrane, candidiasis can look like white dots on the lips, tongue and inner surface of the cheeks. If the disease has an advanced stage, its manifestations are more reminiscent of stomatitis (deep painful sores) and cause serious discomfort to the baby.
To detect thrush, it is enough to look into the baby’s mouth or ask the local pediatrician about it. Plaque with candidiasis is easily removed with a cotton swab. In its place, redness remains, and sometimes even a small wound
The main causes of thrush in infants are:
- weakened immunity, which normally should prevent the growth and reproduction of opportunistic flora
- antibiotic treatment in the first weeks of life
- candidiasis of the mammary glands in a woman (in this case, the child simply becomes infected from the mother during breastfeeding)
- prematurity or physiological immaturity of the child
- disturbances in the work of the gastrointestinal tract, for example, intestinal dysbiosis
- improper or insufficient baby care, poor hygiene
In some cases, thrush in an infant can go away on its own, but it is still better not to sit back, but to treat the disease until it takes on a more severe form.
Treatment of thrush in an infant
The quickest and easiest way to cure thrush in an infant is with an antifungal solution intended for the oral cavity (for example, Candide), Nystatin or clotrimazole ointment. The treatment of mucous membranes should be carried out in accordance with the instructions – with a cotton swab 3-4 times a day. The duration of treatment is usually 7-10 days.
Infant thrush can also be treated with a baking soda solution. After adding 1 teaspoon of powder to warm water, stir the liquid thoroughly and moisten a small cotton ball in it. Plaque should be removed with extreme care so as not to injure the delicate mucous membrane.
If local treatment does not work, your doctor may prescribe general antifungal drugs. In this case, it is possible to completely get rid of thrush in 3-5 days.
Borax in glycerin, which was previously common for the treatment of thrush, is now recognized by pediatricians as too toxic, and therefore it is not prescribed for infants. You should not experiment with such folk remedies as honey or rose jam. They contain a lot of sugar and can cause serious allergies in toddlers.
Read on to find out how to relieve stomach pain after eating.
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