Tongue Thrush

3 year old child has thrush on tongue?

i think my 3 year old has thrush on her tongue (maybe from using her dummy?) what does it look like and how do you treat it?

Public Comments

1. It looks like bits of white milk, but it doesn't come off. Very sore for her. The drops for oral thrush work quickly.
2. it should appear white, basically looks like what it is (fungus). Its best to go to your GP and have them prescribe her something. its probably quite painful so painkillers might be in order in the mean time. hope this helps ;-)
3. (first off WHAT is a dummy????!!!!) E-mail This Article THRUSH You are laughing and playing with your baby. She is laughing back at you, her mouth open wide. You notice a white patch on the inside of her cheek that wasn't there before. You explore her mouth further and find the white patches on the tongue and under the lips. Could it be milk? Or is it thrush that you've heard so much about. WHAT IS THRUSH? Thrush is the term we use to describe an overgrowth of yeast in a baby's mouth. This yeast, called candida, normally lives within our mouth, intestines, and genital area. It thrives in moist, warm environments. Occasionally this yeast is allowed to overgrow so much it becomes visible as white patches. FOUR WAYS TO TELL IF YOUR BABY HAS THRUSH Location – thrush is usually visible on the inside of the cheeks and lips, on the gums, and on the tongue. If present, it will usually spread to 3 or 4 of these places inside the mouth. A thin coating on the tongue only may simply be milk. However, a thick white coating on the tongue is probably thrush. Does not come and go – thrush will usually hang around for weeks. Milk patches inside the cheeks and lips, on the other hand, will come and go with feedings. A milk coating on the tongue, however, can be more stubborn, often staying there for weeks as well. Does not easily wipe off – use your finger and try to wipe away the white patch. If it comes off easily, it's probably milk. Thrush is harder to scrape away, and can even bleed slightly when removed. Associated factors – if either baby or a breastfeeding mom has recently taken antibiotics, or your baby has a stubborn, raised, red diaper rash with outlying red spots (yeast diaper rash), then any suspicious white patches in baby's mouth are much more likely to be thrush. CAUSES OF THRUSH Thrush is not passed from baby to baby. It is an overgrowth of your baby's own yeast. No cause – there is usually no identifiable cause for thrush. It just happens. Antibiotics – the normal bacteria that live in the mouth usually keep the yeast from overgrowing. They compete for space. Since antibiotics kills these normal bacteria, the yeast is allowed to overgrow unchecked. DOES THRUSH HARM BABY? No, thrush is not harmful. It is more of a nuisance than a medical problem. It can, however, irritate baby's mouth during feeding, and when severe, can be painful. SIX WAYS TO TREAT THRUSH Acidophilus – this is a powder form of the normal bacteria that live in our mouth and intestines. Click on it to learn how to apply it in baby's mouth. Nystatin – this is a prescription antifungal liquid that you either squirt or paint with a Q-tip in baby's mouth four times a day. Continue this for five days after the thrush has cleared since it can be quite stubborn. It is common for thrush to recur, and more than one course of nystatin is often needed. One good aspect of nystatin is that it is not absorbed from baby's intestines into the bloodstream. Rather, it goes right through baby and out in the stool. Sterilize bottle nipples or pacifiers – boil them for 20 minutes each day to kill the yeast that may be residing on them. Wash toys that baby frequently chews on in hot, soapy water every day. Don't forget to treat mom if breastfeeding – see below. If the candida is resistant to the standard treatments described above, in consultation with your healthcare provider, try a 0.25 - 0.5 percent solution of gentian violet applied to your nipples twice a day for three days. Gentian violet is effective, but messy. Also, apply a small amount once a day to baby's mouth, but be aware that overuse of gentian violet may irritate the sensitive oral mucus membranes of baby's mouth. Apply Vaseline to baby's lips before using the gentian violet to avoid purple stains. Warning - gentian violet has been used for many years to treat thrush. A recent study done in Australia has linked gentian violet to cancer of the mouth. However, many other professionals around the world believe that it is safe, and continue to recommend it. For this reason, we suggest you use this remedy sparingly, and for as little time as possible. BREASTFEEDING AND THRUSH The yeast can be passed back and forth between mom's nipples and baby's mouth. The yeast can begin to infect the skin around the nipples. While this is usually mild, it can turn into a chronic, painful, itchy problem that is very difficult to eradicate. Symptoms of nipple yeast infection: sore nipples red or pink nipples itchy or burning nipples, even when not feeding baby puffy, dry, or flaky nipples deep, shooting breast pain during or after feedings Because of the possible severity of chronic yeast infections in the breasts, we suggest mom's nipples be treated along with baby's treatment. This will usually prevent the yeast from taking hold on mom. See below. TREATING CHRONIC YEAST INFECTION OF THE BREAST If you feel that you have chronic yeast infection of the nipples and/or breasts, here are some steps you can take to eradicate it: Treat baby – as above, even if baby's thrush has resolved. Acidophilus – this is a very important natural remedy for any yeast infection. Click on it to learn how to take it. After each nursing, follow these 5 steps: Breastmilk – massage a bit into the nipples after nursing, then let air-dry. White vinegar – mix a solution of one tablespoon white vinegar in one cup of water. Keep the bottle next to your nursing chair. Dab a bit onto each nipple and let air dry after each nursing. Nystatin anti-fungal cream – available by prescription. Apply 2 to 3 times a day to each nipple after nursing. Clortrimazole anti-fungal cream – you can use this over-the-counter cream in place of Nystatin. Do not use both! Hydrocortisone ointment 2.5% - available by prescription and if recommended by your doctor for severely swollen painful nipples. Apply 2 to 3 times a day when not applying nystatin. Diflucan – this is a very strong prescription anti-fungal pill. It can be used under supervision by your OB/GYN or baby's pediatrician to treat very severe and stubborn infections. CHRONIC, RESISTANT CASES OF THRUSH IN MOM OR BABY Occasionally, yeast can become very stubborn,persistent or recur despite the above treatments. Here are some steps you can take to eradicate the yeast from you and your baby. Some of these steps are extremely time-consuming. Take the steps that you feel are most appropriate for you. Hot water over 122º F will kill yeast, either in the laundry, dishwasher, sink, or on your skin (not infants – too hot!). Microwaving your undergarments on high for 5 minutes will kill yeast (make sure there’s no metal in the bra). Sunlight kills yeast. Hang infected clothing outside to dry in the sun. Freezing does not kill yeast. Stored breastmilk pumped during an active yeast infection of the breasts should be dumped (this will make pumping moms cringe, but should be done if necessary). Dishwashers – use the hot water setting when washing infected items. For infected items that you choose to hand wash (such as pump parts, bottles, artificial nipples, pacifiers, and teethers) dip these into a 10% bleach solution before thoroughly rinsing. Wear rubber gloves for this. Disinfect daily any item that comes in contact with mom’s breasts, baby’s bottom or mouth. This includes breast shells, breast pads, bras, spit-up rags, pump parts, artificial nipples, pacifiers, teethers, toothbrushes, toys, clothing, underwear and cloth diapers. Towels and washcloths can harbor yeast so they should be used once and then washed in very hot water and sun-dried. If needed, use disposable items such as paper towels, napkins, cups and plastic utensils for extreme family cases. White vinegar added to baths or washing machines can help kill yeast. As you can see, some of these measures are extremely inconvenient. Only do these if you have a very resistant case of thrush effecting you or baby. For another discussion on this problem, click here
4. ALWAYS boil pacifiers once a day, they really do breed bacteria and fungus. It's just gross. Here are some pictures of oral thrush: http://images.google.ca/images?hl=en&q=oral+thrush&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2 It can be treated with grapefruit seed extract. Rinsing the mouth with diluted vinegar (one part vinegar to maybe three parts water) will help as well. If that doesn't make a difference in 48 hours you probably need a prescription.
5. You cannot treat it yourself. You need to take her to her doctor to get a prescription of Nystatin which is an oral thrush treatment. You usually give it two to three times a day for 7 days. Thrush isa yeast infection in the mouth that is white in color and cannot be rubbed off. It is contagious and you can get it from using antibiotics or any contaminated object. If she is in daycare, it could have happened there. Thrush is painful, so get her in to the doctor asap. Make sure you sterilize everything she puts in her mouth!! Wash your hands every time you come into contact with these things as you can get it as well.
6. take the kid to the doctor and they will give you a rx for it
7. it looks like a big blotch on the tongue sometimes it can look white you will need to get an antibiotic off the doctor. if this isnt treated quickly it can go right through her system giving her vomiting and diorrea.natural yogurt is very good too but it would be hard to get a 3 year old to eat that
8. Hi there , I'm a pharmacist , not a doctor but here goes.It's usually indicated by a white coating (a little splotchy) on the tongue and back of the throat and is a common fungal infection in kids her age. It's best treated by Mycostatin (Nystatin) drops 100,000 I.U.s per ml The med is given in liquid form usually 1 to 2 mls to be swished in the mouth and swallowed 4 times per day for 10 days
9. i just took my 14 month old in for this. she had white on her lip and her tongue, and he voice was scratchy. the doc gave her nystatin oral drops. the white went away with her first dose. Make sure you boil for 20 min, or replace everything she puts in her mouth. even tooth brush.
10. It looks white. If you try to rub it off it might bleed a little. Take her to the doctor if she's uncomfortable or give her tylenol in the mean time.
11. If it looks like curdled milk but will not come off when wiped then it probably is thrush. Check her privates also for signs of soreness. The two often go together in females. Give her live yoghurt to eat! It will cool her mouth and the live bacteria in it will start the fight with bad from the thrush till you can visit a pharmacy or chemist, They will advise you on treatment. It might be worth checking whether you are OK too. As close as we are to our babies we are possible sources to each other. Get her off the dummy as soon as possible she shouldn't be reliant on one at 3 and that is most likely the source. They aren't the easiest things to keep sterile as any mum knows..
12. i have got a three year old too and i had the very same problem i thought she had thrush all the time and i kept going to my gp and they gave my a prescription for nystain to put in her mouth three times a day, but then i took her to the dentist to have a check up and he said she has got geographical tongue and there is nothing they can really do for this. so all this time i have been taking her to the gp about thrush it most probably was the other, so my advice to you would be take your child to the dentist for a check up and ask him/her for advice, as geographical tongue is quite common my gp didn't seem to know much about it, but the dentists know everything about the mouth
13. It`s a thick white coating that can be scraped off. It needs treatment from your gp, so take her asap. Plenty of ordinary water to drink will help get rid of it too. If it`s left unchecked it can cause sickness and tummy upsets. PS - IS GYPSY HAVING A JOKE WITH THE LENGTH OF THE ANSWER.... ? WHO`S READING ALL THAT !!!
14. Go to the doctors.