If your baby has oral thrush
Suddenly, your baby’s once pink little tongue has changed colour to white. If this happens, it’s not too much of a stretch to guess that your baby’s mouth is infected with oral thrush – a common, superficial fungal infection in babies’ mouths.
If you see a white rash or a white coating on the tongue, the palate or the inside of the cheeks, it is probably oral thrush. Oral thrush, or oral candidiasis as it is also known, is a type of fungus that occurs naturally in babies’ mouths but can often become unbalanced at times. This means the thrush can spread around the mouth. Most of the time you don’t have to do anything and it will resolve itself. However, sometimes there is so much thrush that it can be painful for the baby to eat and treatment is needed. It may be useful to know that thrush can also spread to a breastfeeding mother’s breast.
How to treat oral thrush
Most of the time, oral thrush will disappear on its own without the need for treatment. If you want to try to help it on its way, you can wrap a gauze or towel around your finger, dip it in carbonated water and then gently rub your finger over the mucous membranes in your child’s mouth. This method has no proven effect but some people find it helps. How long a baby has oral thrush varies, but a couple of weeks is not uncommon. However, if it lasts longer than this and the thrush won’t go away, or if the baby appears to be in pain and has difficulty eating, it should be treated with prescription medicine. Ask your healthcare provider for advice. Sometimes oral thrush can also spread through the digestive system and become a fungal infection on the baby’s bottom. It usually manifests itself as a bright red bottom. In this case too, it is a good idea to talk to your healthcare provider to get help with treatment.
Sterilise bottles and dummies – and keep an eye on your breasts
If your baby uses bottles or a dummy, you can reduce the risk of persistent oral thrush by sterilising the dummy or bottle once a day with boiling water. Also remember to try to stop the impulse to suck the dummy clean if, for example, it has fallen on the ground, as you can get oral thrush too since it’s contagious (although not dangerous).
If you breastfeed your baby who has oral thrush, clean your breast before and after breastfeeding to reduce the risk of the fungus infection being transmitted to you. It can cause a lot of discomfort such as itching and burning pain in your breasts. If this happens, it is important that both mother and baby receive treatment to get rid of the thrush.
Please note that all information above is based on Swedish recommendations.
