How can I prevent my baby from getting thrush?

Understanding Thrush in Babies
Oral thrush, a common fungal infection in infants, is caused by an overgrowth of the yeast *Candida albicans*. This condition manifests as creamy white lesions on the tongue and inner cheeks, which can lead to discomfort for your baby. While thrush is typically easy to treat, it can recur, making prevention strategies essential for parents.
Key Prevention Strategies
1. Maintain Good Oral Hygiene:
Keeping your baby’s mouth clean is crucial. After feeding, gently wipe your baby’s gums and tongue with a soft, damp cloth. This practice helps remove any milk residue that could promote yeast growth. For older infants who have started eating solids, continue this routine to prevent thrush.
2. Monitor Breastfeeding Practices:
If you are breastfeeding, ensure that both you and your baby are free from thrush. The infection can be passed back and forth between mother and child. If you notice symptoms of thrush in your baby, consult a healthcare provider to check for signs in your own nipples, such as redness or soreness, which may indicate a yeast infection.
3. Sterilize Feeding Equipment:
For bottle-fed babies, it’s vital to sterilize bottles, nipples, and pacifiers regularly. Yeast can thrive in warm, moist environments, so ensuring that feeding equipment is clean can significantly reduce the risk of thrush.
4. Limit Sugar Intake:
Yeast thrives on sugar, so try to limit sugary foods in your baby’s diet as they grow. This includes being cautious with fruit juices and other sweetened products that could encourage yeast overgrowth.
5. Dress Your Baby in Breathable Fabrics:
If your baby is prone to diaper rash, ensure that their diaper area is kept dry and clean. Yeast infections can occur in warm, moist areas, so using breathable fabrics can help prevent thrush and other yeast-related issues.
6. Consult Your Pediatrician:
If your baby is frequently developing thrush, it may be worth discussing with your pediatrician. They can provide tailored advice and may suggest probiotics or other preventive measures to help maintain a healthy balance of bacteria and yeast in your baby’s mouth.
Conclusion
Preventing thrush in babies involves a combination of good hygiene practices, careful monitoring during breastfeeding, and maintaining a clean feeding environment. By taking these proactive steps, you can help ensure your baby remains comfortable and thrush-free. If you suspect your baby has thrush, early intervention can lead to effective treatment and minimize discomfort.

What is the best preventative for thrush?

Preventing vaginal thrush
Avoid using soap to wash the genital area. Soap substitutes can be used. Avoid using antiseptics, douches or perfumed sprays (often sold as ‘feminine hygiene products’) in the genital area.

Can I kiss my baby with oral thrush?

Mothers can have yeast on the nipple that is spread to the infant, or the infant passes thrush to the nipples during breast-feeding. Both may need to be treated. Even though oral thrush in adults is not considered contagious, the yeast fungus can be spread through kissing.

How do you clean a baby’s mouth to prevent thrush?

Cleaning your baby’s gums by wiping them with gauze or a soft cloth and their tongue with a baby tongue cleaner wipes away sugars that bacteria thrive on. If formula or breast milk stay in baby’s mouth, the bacteria continue to multiply and can lead to oral fungal infections such as thrush.

Is thrush in babies caused by poor hygiene?

It is more common in babies younger than 10 weeks, but older babies can also get it. Oral thrush is not usually due to poor hygiene and it does not usually mean that your baby is ill in any other way.

How do you stop thrush when it starts?

The most common treatment is to put anti-thrush cream or a tablet in your vagina. You can purchase these from the chemist without a prescription from your doctor. You should see your doctor before taking this medication if you’re not sure what is causing the irritation.

What is the main cause of thrush in babies?

Thrush is common during the early months of life. It’s caused by a yeast infection in the mouth. Most often, it’s due to prolonged sucking. Thrush causes only mild discomfort.

How do I make sure my baby doesn’t get thrush?

Oral thrush is a common infection in babies, but you can help prevent it: If you formula-feed your baby or use a pacifier, thoroughly clean the nipples and pacifiers in hot water or a dishwasher after each use. That way, if there’s yeast on the bottle nipple or pacifier, your baby won’t be reinfected.

How do you stop oral thrush from coming back in babies?

Regularly sterilise dummies, teething rings, the nipples of feeding bottles and anything else that goes in your baby’s mouth, to prevent a build-up of the candida yeast that can cause oral thrush.

Is it better to spit or swallow nystatin?

Put the medicine in your mouth. Keep it in your mouth for at least 30 seconds if possible, swilling it around your mouth like a mouthwash before you swallow it. Do not eat or drink anything for 30 minutes after taking it. This stops you washing the medicine out of your mouth too soon.

What is the number one cause of oral thrush?

Weakened immunity.
Oral thrush is more likely in babies and older adults due to lower immunity. Some medical conditions and treatments can weaken your immune system. They include cancer and its treatments, an organ transplant, medicines that weaken the immune system, and HIV / AIDS .