Thrush, oral

What is thrush?

Thrush is an infection of the mouth caused by yeast (also called fungus) called Candida albicans.

Thrush It is a common disease in newborns and infants.

This yeast is always present in small amounts in the mouth, but may overgrow the normal amount of bacteria normally found in the mouth at certain times.

Some examples of when this happens includes during an illness or when a child is taking antibiotics.

Breastfeeding children may be infected with yeast from their mother’s nipples.

Using a pacifier can also increase the risk of thrush.

Treatment / What you should do

If you think your child may have thrush, check with your doctor.

The doctor can prescribe a medicine to treat the thrush. It is given by a dropper in the baby’s mouth. It may help to apply the medicine directly onto the thrush with a clean cotton swab.

The treatment usually lasts a week, but you should continue to treat the child for a few more days after the rash has disappeared. This is important to prevent the fungal infection from returning after the treatment has finished.

Consult your doctor if your child does not want to eat, if the thrush seems to be getting worse instead of better during the treatment, or if the treatment just does not appear to help.