Newborn Thrush
Causes of Newborn Thrush
Newborn thrush can be a common ailment. Thrush infections affect adults and babies, as they are simply an overgrowth of yeast in the body. Newborn thrush is treatable and most commonly affects the infant’s mouth.
Thrush is a yeast infection of the mouth or other body parts. It is considered to be fungal infection, caused by an overgrowth of specific yeasts. The most common form of yeast that leads to the development of thrush infections is Candida albicans. Most of time thrush occurs because of an altered immune system that allows the yeast to over grow. In a normally healthy body, naturally occurring yeasts are kept in control, but certain disorders or medications may cause the yeast to grow abnormally. In babies, their immune systems take time to begin to regulate bacteria and yeasts in the body, making them more susceptible to infections. Thrush infections typically affect babies up to about four weeks of age. Thrush infections that occur past this time period, especially over the age of six months are a possible sign of a compromised immune system.
While newborn thrush can affect almost any baby, there are certain procedures or events that can increase the likelihood of thrush infections to occur. If the mother has a vaginal yeast infection, this yeast can be transmitted to the infant during delivery. Yeast can also occur on the nipples of breast feeding mothers and transmitted to the baby in this manner. Other ways that yeast can be transmitted to newborns is through infected rubber nibbles or through contact with nurses or family members infected with thrush. Thrush infections also have a higher rate of developing in babies with certain congenital defects such as cleft palates, cleft lips or diabetes. Other types of infant infections that require the use of antibiotics may also lead to thrush infections.
Thrush appears as a white patches located inside of the infant’s mouth. Often babies with thrush will show signs of soreness in the mouth and difficulty with feeding. The yeast will often appear on the baby’s inner checks, on the tongue or on the gums. It can have the appearance of cottage cheese or a milk-like substance. In some babies there are no symptoms and the infection may clear up on its own without any treatment.
Treatments for thrush in infants are relatively simple and are usually very effective. The yeast that causes thrush can grow in the mouth if there an increased amount of substrate for the fungus to grow on. This means that leftover milk in the infant’s mouth can allow yeasts to grow, but can be removed after feedings with boiled water that has been cooled. There are several medications available that are both effective in removing the yeast that causes thrush and are safe for use in infants. Some these medications include miconazole of clotrimazole gels, nystatin suspensions, or in more serious cases, the oral fungicide Diflucan. Thrush infections can usually be cured in a few weeks.
Infant caregivers and family members should practice good hygiene and hand washing to prevent spreading thrush to infants. Mothers with yeast infection symptoms should receive treatments before giving birth. Anything, including rubber nipples and feeding devices, that are placed in an infant’s mouth should be properly sterilized and cleaned to prevent spreading the thrush bacteria.
The good news about thrush infections in infants is that this type of infection is relatively harmless and is easy to cure. The infections do not have any really serious side effects, but should be treated quickly none the less. Maintaining good hygiene when feeding or handling an infant is the best defense against thrush infections.