Thrush in an infant: causes and symptoms

In pediatric practice, a thrush in an infant is quite common . This is a known disease, which at least once every child is sick. Many parents are interested in what symptoms are accompanied by the disease and how dangerous it is.

Thrush in an infant: causes

The causative agent of the disease are fungi of the genus Candida, which affect the mucous membranes of the oral cavity. In infancy, the child's immune system is just beginning to form, so he is more vulnerable to such infections. There are two ways of infection:

• Most often, the infection enters the mouth of the child due to insufficient compliance with hygiene rules. For example, fungi can be contained in an unwashed nipple or on a toy. They can also be on the maternal breast and any object that is in the mouth of the baby.
• Another way of transmission is possible - if the mother is a carrier of fungi, the infection can occur during labor during passage through the birth canal.

Thrush in an infant: risk groups

In fact, not all children suffer from thrush. There are the following risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing the disease:

• Weakened immunity.
• Premature babies.
• Reception of antibiotics, as these drugs destroy not only pathogenic, but also useful microflora, which in turn leads to active reproduction of fungal organisms.
• From frequent thrush suffer children who often regurgitate, as in the oral cavity create excellent conditions for reproduction and growth of fungi.

Thrush in the mouth of a child: the main symptoms

Thrush is accompanied by very characteristic signs that are difficult to overlook:

• First, whitish spots appear on the mucous membrane of the mouth. As the disease develops, they begin to become covered with a white curdled coating, which is easy to see when the child cries.
• Thrush in an infant is accompanied by severe itching and even pain. Therefore, the sick kid refuses to eat, often fusses and cries.

How to treat thrush in children?

A child with such signs should be shown to the doctor. And although thrush is not considered a dangerous disease, do not self-medicate. To date, there are a lot of funds for the treatment of the disease - mostly solutions that need to lubricate the mouth several times a day. Sometimes doctors recommend using a weak solution of baking soda for this purpose. And, of course, you need to observe some precautions that will not only accelerate the recovery process, but also prevent the likelihood of a repeat illness:

• Carefully follow the hygiene. Remember that the nipple and bottle should be washed and poured with boiling water before each feeding. If the baby is breastfed, then do not forget about breast hygiene.
• You need to follow and clean the toys, as well as all the items that the child takes in his mouth.
• It is necessary to rinse the baby's mouth after each regurgitation. You can give a baby a boiled water with a spoon or a bottle.
• Do not forget about the strengthening of the immunity of the baby, watch for food, more often in the fresh air.