Mushrooms of the genus Candida exist on the mucous membranes and on the skin of a person, like marine polyps living on the bottom of the seas. But if the latter die on land, then Candida mushrooms, on the contrary, in the conditions of dryness begin to multiply rapidly, causing harm to their "master".
In the mature organism that has formed, there is also a favorable microflora, which is a component of the immune system. It inhibits the reproduction of mushrooms, timely destroying the excess. But in the body of a newborn, the immune system is not yet formed, therefore it is children up to a year who most often suffer from a disease such as thrush.
Thrush of the oral cavity is a common disease that occurs in newborns. The baby thrush gives a lot of trouble, because it interferes with the normal use of food, sleep.
How does infection of a baby's thrush occur?
Most often, the baby's mother is the source of infection of the baby with thrush. Fungi live in the vagina, and this is normal, but under the influence of certain factors, for example, a decrease in immunity during pregnancy, the subsequent use of antibiotics, the use of a large number of sweets, they actively multiply, and an excessive amount is already a yeast infection. If the pregnant woman is sick with thrush, the child is born already infected, regardless of how the child was born.
With poor sterilization of bottles, nipples, spoons for feeding the baby, the fungus may appear in the oral cavity.
Hormonal background, gastrointestinal diseases can also serve as a background for the development of the disease.
If there is a small child in the house, it is necessary to observe a certain temperature regime, monitor air humidity. After all, another reason is the decrease in the protective properties of saliva. Dry oral mucosa is an ideal medium for the growth of bacteria.
How to determine the presence of thrush in a newborn in the mouth
White plaque in the language of crumbs is a normal occurrence. The child eats exclusively breast milk, and it is known to everyone, white. But not always a raid can be harmless. There is a disease such as thrush, which has the same symptoms. You can verify the presence of the disease as follows: if the plaque is only in the tongue, then this is rather simply due to the use of milk. But if white spots spread to the gums and cheeks, and after rubbing them, redness is found under them, this confirms the existence of thrush.
The temperature in this case is often absent. If it does, then no higher than 37.5.
Also, the child becomes restless, is naughty during feeding, and may refuse to eat at all, since sucking gives him pain. If nothing is done from the first day of the onset of the disease, small spots increase in size, white films are converted into a curd-like coating.
With improper capture of the breast by a sick thrush, the child can infect her mother. Subsequently, cracks form around the woman’s nipple, which is accompanied by pain while feeding the baby. In this case, both must be treated.
Often, thrush of the oral cavity in newborns is combined with diaper dermatitis, when diaper rash appears on the buttocks, around the anus. The boy may be affected by the scrotum and penis, the girl's labia. The reason for this is a gastrointestinal tract disease, wet skin of the baby, airtight diapers and diapers.
The appearance of candidiasis indicates a violation in the functioning of the immune system. If oral candidiasis is ignored, it threatens to develop into a chronic one.
The first actions of parents with the appearance of thrush
If you suspect that the baby has thrush, you need to contact a pediatrician to establish the exact cause of the process. The fact is that thrush can also occur due to some other disease, which manifests itself in this way. A doctor should prescribe treatment, while always taking into account the individual characteristics of the body.
Sometimes parents think that in order to cure thrush in newborns in the mouth, it is enough to treat only the lesion foci. In fact, if candidiasis is vaginal or intestinal, local treatment will not be enough. Intestinal candidiasis is confirmed after chemical and microscopic examination of the state of feces, vaginal - after examination of the genital organs. To achieve the effectiveness of treatment, the use of systemic drugs is mandatory. Also, if a thrush is suspected, it is necessary to examine the mother, because if the mother has this disease, there is a high percentage of probability that the baby will also have it.
Diagnosis of the disease often occurs after a visual examination. Also, if the doctor considers it necessary, a child may take a scraping from the oral mucosa. After examination with a microscopic or bacteriological method, it becomes possible to establish the type of fungus, to determine its sensitivity to antifungal drugs.
Better treatment for thrush in the mouth in newborns is only prevention
Thrush in the mouth in newborns is treatable, but easier to avoid. Important is the health of a pregnant woman. This applies to both personal hygiene and nutrition.
Important! Suffering from thrush should reduce the use of flour, fat. It is advisable to eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grain bread.
To establish the intestinal microflora in a child should begin immediately after his birth. This is an early application to the chest. If you have to feed by artificial means, it is important to sterilize items for feeding. Just rinsing with boiling water is not enough. For a child under the age of 1.5 years, items for feeding should be boiled or a sterilizer used.
Preventive methods also apply to skin and mucous membranes. Particular attention should be paid to this during other childhood diseases.
Antibacterial drugs should have a reasonable use. An important point is the fight against pregnant candidiasis.
At risk are children:
• whose mothers during childbirth were sick with candidiasis or other infectious diseases;
• premature or physiologically immature, with malformations and malformations;
• born with respiratory distress syndrome;
• suffered injuries of the central nervous system during childbirth.
Such newborns should be screened for candidiasis during the first seven days of life. If confirmed, the doctor prescribes antifungal therapy.
How to treat thrush in the mouth of a newborn
Not all oral medications can be given to children at this age. The use of antifungal, disinfectant medicines is possible only from six months of age.
The treatment of thrush in the mouth in newborns is also complicated by the fact that they cannot say that it hurts somewhere. To help a child, one must be very attentive to him.
Improving the feeding technique
If the reason for the development of the fungus lies in frequent spitting up, it is necessary to understand why this happens. Often regurgitation occurs when air enters the stomach. It should be monitored whether you correctly apply the baby while breastfeeding. This also applies to children who eat from the bottle.
It must be remembered that after feeding the baby, you need to hold the column until it burps. At this time, the air that got there during the meal comes out of the stomach.
Important! Immediately after feeding, the baby should lie down in peace. In no case can you squeeze it, turn it over, change clothes.
Local treatment of thrush in the mouth in newborns
The simplest and safest treatment for thrush is soda. It is used as a solution for treating the oral cavity during illness of babies. Soda makes the mucous membrane more alkaline, such a environment for the fungus is fatal, which makes it possible to cure the newborn from thrush in the mouth in 5-10 days.
To prepare such a solution, you need to take a glass of boiled water, dissolve a teaspoon of soda in it. A gauze swab can be used to treat the cavity. You need to wipe the gums, tongue, lips, inner sides of the cheeks gently, but carefully, do not miss a millimeter.
Repeat such procedures every couple of hours.
