Info. on Infant Thrush

Recently a client contacted me requesting information on infant oral thrush.  Below find information describing the infection and discussing treatments.  Depending upon the age of your baby, it is possible your pediatrician will suggest just letting it run it’s course.  Be aware that if your baby contracts this yeast infection, and you are breastfeeding, you may have symptoms too.  Just as with sexual partners, yeast infections are highly contagious.

Note that the second website provides a photo of the thrush infection.

I sincerely you do not have to deal with this.  It is easily treated, but certainly no fun!

JUDY

Definition:

Oral thrush is a very common infection in infants that causes irritation in and around a baby’s mouth. It is caused by the overgrowth of a yeast (a type of fungus) called Candida albicans. Most people (including infants) naturally have Candida in their mouths and digestive tracts, which is considered normal growth.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/179069.php

 

Oral Thrush In Babies: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

http://www.babycenter.com/0_thrush-in-babies_92.bc

(this website includes a photo of infant thrush)

 

My baby has white patches on the insides of her cheeks. What could this be?

It could be a common and harmless yeast infection known as thrush. Thrush looks like cottage cheese or milk curds on the sides, roof, and sometimes the tongue of a baby’s mouth. It’s most common in babies 2 months and younger, but it can appear in older babies, too.

What causes thrush?

© Dr P. Marazzi / Science Source

Yeast is a normal part of everyone’s digestive system, but when there’s an imbalance, an infection sets in. Most infants first come in contact with yeast as they travel down the birth canal. Thrush can develop when hormonal changes right after birth trigger an overgrowth of yeast in your baby’s mouth.

After your baby is born, antibiotics taken by you (if you’re breastfeeding) or your baby can trigger a case of thrush. That’s because antibiotics kill off “good” bacteria that keep yeast in check.

Some moms and babies pass the infection back and forth: Your baby canpass thrush on to you if you’re breastfeeding, resulting in a painful yeast infection on your nipples that will need a doctor’s treatment. And you can trigger a case of thrush in your baby if you’re breastfeeding and you develop a yeast infection on your nipples from taking antibiotics. On the other hand, some moms remain uninfected even while breastfeeding babies who have thrush — and some breastfed babies are not affected by their mother’s yeast infection.

Some people think thrush can also be caused by prolonged sucking on a bottle or pacifier. Others think poor hygiene of bottle nipples is to blame. But infants who breastfeed exclusively and don’t use pacifiers can also get it, so it’s hard to pinpoint any one cause. Some babies (and some moms) are simply more susceptible than others to yeast.

How can I know for sure that it’s thrush?

If you think your baby has thrush, look for the characteristic white patches. Then gently touch a patch with a gauze-covered finger. If it is thrush, it probably won’t come off very easily, but if it does, you’ll find a raw, red area underneath that may bleed.

If you notice a white coating on your baby’s tongue but nowhere else, it’s probably just milk residue (especially if you can wipe it off). Thrush patches can appear on your baby’s tongue, but are most often found on the sides of the mouth. These spots can be painful — you may first suspect thrush if your baby starts crying when nursing or sucking on a pacifier or bottle.

 

Off the Beaten Track…….

A friend sent me these historic tid-bits.  I found them fascinating.  They do not relate to mommies and babies, but they will do you well in a trivia contest someday!!  Enjoy!!  JUDY

1. Early aircraft throttles had a ball on the end of it, in order to go full throttle the pilot had to push the throttle all the way forward into the wall of the instrument panel. Hence: “balls to the wall” for going very fast. And now you know the rest of the story.

2. During WWII, U.S. Airplanes were armed with belts of bullets which they would shoot during dogfights and on strafing runs. These belts were folded into the wing compartments that fed their machine guns. These belts measure 27 feet and contained hundreds of rounds of bullets. Often times, the pilots would return from their missions having expended all of their bullets on various targets. They would say:
 I gave them the whole nine yards, meaning they used up all of their ammunition.
3. Did you know the saying “God willing and the creek don’t rise” was in reference to the Creek Indians and not a body of water? It was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. He was a politician and Indian diplomat. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. To return to Washington . In his response, he was said to write, “God willing and the Creek don’t rise.” Because he capitalized the word “Creek” he was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body of water.

4. In George Washington’s days, there were no cameras. One’s image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by
painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are ‘limbs,’ therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the expression, ‘Okay, but it’ll cost you an arm and a leg.’ (Artists know hands and arms are more difficult to paint.)

5. As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year (May and October). Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool. They couldn’t
wash the wigs, so to clean them they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term ‘big wig‘. Today we often use the term ‘here comes the Big Wig’ because
someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.

6. In the late 1700’s, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair. Commonly, a long wide board folded down from the wall, and was used for dining. The ‘head of the household’ always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor.
Occasionally a guest, who was usually a man, would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal. To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge. They called the one sitting in the chair the ‘chair man.’ Today in business, we use the expression
or title ‘Chairman’ or ‘Chairman of the Boar.
7. Personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee’s wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman
began to stare at another woman’s face she was told, ‘mind your own bees wax.’  Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term ‘crack a smile.’ In addition, when they sat 
too close to the fire, the wax would melt. Therefore, the expression ‘losing face.

8. Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the front. A proper and dignified woman, as in ‘straightlaced‘ wore a tightly tied lace.

9. Common entertainment included playing cards. However, there was a tax levied when purchasing playing cards but only applicable to the ‘Ace of Spades.’ To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards instead. Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these
people were thought to be stupid or dumb because they weren’t ‘playing with a full deck.’

10. Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what the people considered important. Since there were no telephones, TV’s or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs, and bars. They were told to ‘go sip some Ale
and listen to people’s conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were dispatched at different times. ‘You go sip here’ and ‘You go sip there.’ The two words ‘go sip’ were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus we have
the term ‘gossip.‘

11. At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and quart-sized containers. A bar maid’s job was to keep an eye on the customers and keep the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in ‘pints’ and who was drinking
in ‘quarts,’ hence the phrase ‘minding your ‘P’s and Q’s‘.

12. One more: bet you didn’t know this!  In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However, how to prevent them from
rolling about the deck?  The best storage method devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon.
There was only one problem….how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate called a ‘Monkey’ with 16 round indentations. However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly
rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make ‘Brass Monkeys.’ Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled.. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink
so much that the iron cannonballs would come right off the monkey; Thus, it was quite literally, ‘Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.’