Oral thrush is a yeast infection that affects the mouth. It causes creamy white patches to form on the tongue or inner cheeks. These patches can be painful, but in many cases, the only signs are the white spots on the tongue or inner cheek areas of the mouth. Babies with thrush may have trouble feeding. Thrush is seldom serious in healthy children. Thrush is common in infants and toddlers. Babies sometimes pass the infection to their mothers. In most cases, thrush isn’t a medical emergency. Call your healthcare provider if your baby develops symptoms of thrush.
Treating thrush
Babies with thrush are treated with a liquid antifungal medication. The liquid is administered by a dropper to be applied and spread directly on the affected area of the tongue and mouth, with a Q-tip. The baby should not swallow the liquid medicine; there is no danger to your baby if she swallows the medicine, but it will not work unless it is rubbed onto the affected areas. Also, if your baby uses a pacifier, make sure you sterilize the pacifier each time you apply the medicine to prevent re-infection.
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