Candidiasis is a type of fungal infection, the development of which is provoked by an increase in the activity of yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida.
A similar disease can develop even in a small child, therefore, for a large number of mothers, the question of how to treat thrush in infants in the mouth is relevant. It is necessary to distinguish thrush from simple plaque in the tongue, which often forms after breastfeeding.
Before you figure out how to treat an infant with thrush in the mouth, you need to have an idea of what symptoms are characteristic of this pathology.
Manifestations of the disease
Signs of thrush in the mouth of an infant:
- At the initial stage, candidiasis manifests itself in the form of a small edema and the development of inflammation.
- If you try to remove the plaque, under it you can find the development of the inflammatory process.
- Treatment of thrush in the baby’s mouth can be accompanied by the whims of the baby.
- The skin of the oral cavity becomes smooth and shiny, can be painted in intense red color.
- The progression of candidiasis can be manifested in an increase in the size of whitish plaques and their spread to large areas of the oral cavity.
- During the examination, an extensive lesion of the digestive system can be detected, which is manifested in the form of stool disorders, lack of appetite.
- If the fungus affects the tongue, then on the organ there is a lack of roughness and papillae, as well as the occurrence of severe edema.
A complication of thrush in the mouth can be the development of candidal tonsillitis, so the decision about what else to treat thrush in the baby in the mouth must be made very quickly. It is strongly recommended that you entrust this to a qualified, experienced pediatrician.
Before deciding how to treat thrush in the mouth of an infant, it is necessary to consider which children are at risk. Doctors include premature babies, babies with congenital physiological disorders and a decrease in immunity, and small patients who underwent surgery.
Particular attention should be paid to the treatment of thrush in the mouth in children who are breast-fed. The immunity of such babies is significantly reduced, since they are deprived of the opportunity to consume breast milk.
The basic principles of therapy
To accurately understand how to cure thrush in an infant in the mouth, it should be remembered that this disease requires an integrated approach and the steady and systematic observance of all the instructions of the pediatrician.
If thrush is diagnosed in the baby’s mouth, treatment will be carried out in conjunction with the correction of the nutrition of the nursing mother. The daily diet should be balanced and rich in foods that contain vitamins, minerals and amino acids.
Understanding the solution to the problem of how to cure thrush in the mouth of an infant, it should be remembered: babies with impaired carbohydrate metabolism are more likely to develop such a pathology than everyone else. It can be children with diabetes or increased body weight. At the same time, having received information about how to treat thrush in children in the mouth, it should be remembered that therapy should be started with the elimination of the root causes that provoke candidiasis.
Drug treatment
The sooner a disease is detected, the easier it is to determine how to treat it. If symptoms of thrush in the baby in the mouth are detected, treatment begins with medications. The action of medicines should be aimed not only at eliminating pathogenic fungi, but also at increasing the immunity of a small patient, as well as eliminating the effects of candidiasis.
How and with what to treat thrush in the mouth of a baby:
- External therapy involves treating the affected areas with brilliant green, Acriderm drug or Castellani liquid (Fucorcin). You can irrigate your oral cavity using Borax in glycerol (10%) or Iodilipol, as well as Chlorhexidine or Miramistin.
- With a serious course of the disease and the widespread spread of the inflammatory process, the doctor may recommend the systemic use of antifungal agents.
- With a significant decrease in immunity, the use of immunostimulants will be recommended.
- In order to eliminate dysbiosis, lactobacilli and eubiotics are used.
The dose of drugs and the duration of their use are determined individually, taking into account the therapeutic effect and tolerance of the drug.
Alternative methods of therapy
If thrush is detected in the baby’s mouth, treatment with folk remedies must first be agreed with the doctor. The use of “grandmother’s recipes” can be carried out against the background of conservative, medical treatment of thrush in infants in the mouth.
If thrush is detected in newborns in the mouth, treatment with soda can achieve a local antifungal effect and eliminate the external manifestations of candidiasis. A two percent soda solution is moistened with a small piece of gauze, wound on a finger and a white curd is removed from the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, palate and tongue.
The procedure is unpleasant for the child, but very effective. If the baby is breastfed, it is recommended to apply soda solution on the mother’s breast. If artificial feeding is practiced, then in a soda solution, you can boil a bottle and a baby’s nipple.
Treatment of thrush in the mouth in infants with folk remedies can also be carried out using herbal collection based on chamomile flowers, juniper berries, leaves of medicinal sage, yarrow grass, marigold flowers (calendula), birch buds, eucalyptus leaves and poplar buds. All components must be mixed in equal parts, pour 2 cups of boiling water and insist all night. After that, use to wipe the baby’s mouth or offer the child as a drink.
A decoction of wormwood roots has a good therapeutic effect. To prepare a healing liquid, 30 g of raw materials should be filled with 200 ml of boiling water and boiled for 5 minutes. Then cool and give the child a teaspoon three times a day.
A honey solution can also be used to treat the oral cavity. It tastes good, it has an antifungal effect and is well accepted by young children. 10 grams of honey is bred with 2 tablespoons of warm water. The resulting liquid is applied to the affected areas 3-5 times a day.
You can use a decoction of St. John’s wort leaves: 50-60 g of dry raw materials must be poured with water at room temperature and put on a slow fire. After the liquid boils, it is insisted for 15 minutes, cooled and used for irrigation of the oral cavity. Such a tool allows you to quickly achieve anti-inflammatory and antifungal effects.
To eliminate the manifestations of candidiasis, it may take 3 to 5 days. In this case, the general course of treatment can be 15-20 days. At the first symptoms of the disease, parents should refrain from self-medication and consult a pediatrician. The specialist will give detailed instructions on how to treat thrush in an infant in the mouth.
If, against the background of using alternative methods of therapy, the proper effect is not observed, and complications develop in the form of an increase in body temperature, it is necessary to inform the pediatrician as soon as possible. The doctor will help you choose the right treatment for thrush in the mouth of the baby, taking into account the manifestations of the disease and the characteristics of the baby’s body.
Preventive actions
It is important not only to know how to treat thrush in the mouth of an infant, but also to understand how to prevent the development of this unpleasant disease.
General recommendations for prevention are as follows:
- Since the protective mechanisms of a small child are still weakened, prevention must begin with the mother and the immediate environment of the child. A nursing mother must adjust her diet.
- If a woman has candidiasis, it is required to minimize her contact with the baby to a minimum until complete recovery.
- It is recommended for the mother to properly care for the mucous membranes of the child, without neglecting the observance of elementary rules of personal hygiene.
- Regular walks in the fresh air strengthens the immunity of the child and has a restorative effect.
- You should refrain from self-medication. The use of antibacterial drugs, which can provoke the development of candidiasis, is especially not welcome.
The most characteristic sign of thrush in children is a white coating on the tongue and mucous membranes of the oral cavity. The formation of small whitish plaques can be observed in the gum region, on the inner surface of the cheeks, as well as in the sky. An inflammatory process develops around the plaque. If thrush in an infant is treated with soda in the mouth and white plaque is removed during the procedure, under it, the skin area will be painted in intense red color.
Treatment of thrush in the mouth of an infant is prescribed taking into account the causes of its occurrence. Often the problem is due to the development of dysbiosis. In this case, treatment of thrush in a child’s mouth must be carried out with the use of probiotic preparations.
