How can I prevent thrush in my breastfed baby?

Understanding Thrush in Breastfed Babies
Thrush, a common yeast infection caused by the overgrowth of *Candida albicans*, can be particularly troublesome for breastfeeding mothers and their infants. This condition not only affects the baby’s mouth but can also lead to painful symptoms for the mother, making breastfeeding a challenging experience. However, there are several effective strategies to prevent thrush in your breastfed baby.
Key Prevention Strategies
1. Maintain Good Hygiene Practices
One of the most crucial steps in preventing thrush is to ensure proper hygiene. This includes washing your hands thoroughly before and after breastfeeding, as well as after changing diapers. It’s also important to wash all items that come into contact with the infected area—such as towels, baby clothes, and bras—at high temperatures to eliminate any lingering yeast.
2. Care for Your Nipples
Breastfeeding can sometimes lead to cracked or sore nipples, which can create an entry point for yeast infections. To prevent this, ensure that your baby is properly latched during breastfeeding. If you experience pain, consult a lactation expert to improve positioning and attachment. Additionally, keeping your nipples dry and using lanolin cream can help protect the skin.
3. Limit Antibiotic Use
Antibiotics can disrupt the natural balance of bacteria and yeast in both mothers and babies, increasing the risk of thrush. If antibiotics are necessary, discuss with your healthcare provider about taking probiotics to help restore healthy flora.
4. Monitor Your Baby’s Oral Health
Regularly check your baby’s mouth for signs of thrush, such as white patches on the tongue or inside the cheeks. If you notice any symptoms, consult your pediatrician promptly. Early intervention can prevent the infection from worsening and spreading.
5. Avoid Skin-to-Skin Contact During Infection
If you or your baby has thrush, it’s advisable to limit skin-to-skin contact with other family members to prevent spreading the infection. This includes avoiding shared baths and ensuring that everyone in the household practices good hygiene.
Continuing to Breastfeed
If thrush does occur, it’s important to know that you can continue breastfeeding while being treated. Maintaining breastfeeding can help keep your milk supply steady and provide comfort to your baby. Treatment options for thrush in infants typically include antifungal medications, which can be applied topically to the mouth.
Conclusion
Preventing thrush in your breastfed baby involves a combination of good hygiene practices, careful monitoring of breastfeeding techniques, and awareness of the signs of infection. By taking proactive steps, you can help ensure a more comfortable and enjoyable breastfeeding experience for both you and your baby. If you have concerns or notice symptoms, don’t hesitate to reach out to your healthcare provider for guidance and support.

How to avoid getting thrush when breastfeeding?

How To Help Prevent The Spread Of Thrush

• Good, regular hand washing, especially after the toilet!
• Keep nipples dry and avoid breast pads if possible, otherwise, change them regularly
• Use disposable for once-off use only or change reusable every feed and wash in high temperature and wear clean
• Breathable cotton bras

How to clean bottles when baby has thrush?

Boil for 20 minutes every day, anything that goes into the baby’s mouth. This includes: pacifiers, teethers, bottle nipples, cups, toys, rattles. You must also boil your breast pump parts.

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.

Why do my breasts tingle between feedings?

Tingling breasts often indicate the letdown reflex, where milk is released from the breast during breastfeeding or pumping.

What temperature kills thrush?

Candida albicans does not have strong resistance to heat, and it will die after 1 hour when heated to 60°C. But it is more resistant to drying, sunlight, ultraviolet rays and chemical agents. Candida albicans causes superficial infection and deep infection.

How to treat thrush naturally for breastfeeding?

Rince your nipples with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vinegar in 1 cup water (250 ml), every hour for a 24-hour period. Oil of oregano and pure coconut oil are other treatments that may be helpful. Please consult your health care professional to find how to use these products.

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.

How to keep your baby from getting thrush?

Prevention

1. If you bottle feed your baby, clean and sterilize all equipment, including nipples.
2. Clean and sterilize pacifiers and other toys that go in your baby’s mouth.
3. Change diapers often to help prevent yeast from causing diaper rash.
4. Be sure to treat your nipples if you have a yeast infection.

What is the number one cause of oral thrush?

Weakened immunity.
Oral thrush is more likely to occur in infants and older adults due to reduced immunity. Some medical conditions and treatments can suppress your immune system, such as cancer and its treatments, organ transplantation and required drugs that suppress the immune system, and HIV/AIDS.

Why does my breastfed baby keep getting thrush?

Babies are more susceptible to oral thrush because they don’t have a fully developed immune system. Thrush is also highly contagious. Breastfeeding mothers and babies can get into an ongoing cycle of reinfecting each other through feeding. It’s important that both mom and baby get treated when infection occurs.