Has anyone's child had this before? My daughter came down with pneumonia and thrush last week. The thrush wasn't bad at first, it was just white at the tip of her tongue but the doctor gave us medication for it anyways. I didn't start the medication as I didn't think the thrush was bad since it was only on the tip of her tongue and since she was on antibiotics I thought it might just come back from that. Well as of today her gums and inner lip and tongue are all white so I am going to have to start her on the meds tomorrow..they gave me oral Nystatin to give her in both cheeks four times a day.
I don't know anything about thrush...is it contagious? Does it hurt her in any way? Can other kids get it from sucking on the same toy as her?
Thrush can be very painful and makes it very hard to eat. Everything stings. I have had it and I have known other people(including children) who have had it. Just do the meds and it will clear up. The yougurt is the best idea! Also do watch for flare ups when on other meds, but yougurt will help. The yougurt must have active cultures in it. Many do, but check the label to make sure.
if you can get her to eat yogurt, give her that as well. better the kind with no added sugar, more natural kind. perhaps even the plain yogurt. That will also help to combat the yeast infection that causes the thrush. My mom gets it when she's on antibiotics too, cause the antibiotics are killing off the good bacteria, along with the bad and the balance gets off kilter. Probiotics found in yogurt can help. If she cannot tolerate cow milk yogurt, get goat milk yogurt at whole foods or other natural food store.
My son has never had thrush (knock on wood), but I have, as an adult. (One of my asthma inhalers changes the pH level in the mouth, so it's common.) I know some Drs. say it's not painful for infants, but I don't know, because it definitely is for adults. I've been on Nystatin before. I think it can be contagious if another child is susceptable, but that's usually not the case. Also, you need to sanitize your daughter's toys, pacifiers, bottles; anything she puts in her mouth, because the thrush could return or not fully resolve itself. If you're breastfeeding clean yourself, too, because I've heard thrush on the nipples is incredibly painful. The white stuff should clear up in a couple days, but continue the Nystatin as long as directed. Hope that helps... :)
As a mother of two in daycare and exposure to thrush on numerous occassions...
It is contagious! The meds the dr. gave to you for it may have shortened the duration, the severeness and time of being contagious.
You should always take meds as prescribed. Not all antibiotics treat all illnesses.
Please, please, please mommies, when dr. gives a prescription, you must always give it to the child. We put our faith in the dr.s because they are so well educated and we must trust them to care for our children. Your child will be probably be fine but may take a little longer to heal. Good luck mommy
So wait a while....you don't know anything about thrush yet you chose not to medicate your child? Well, it isn't contagious, it's basically a symptom of an overgrown systemic yeast infection so the antibiotics made it worse which is why they gave you Nystatin. Stick with what the docs say, she'll clear up quickly. FYI watch when she's on antibiotics in the future...the thrush could come back.
Thrush is a yeast infection in the mouth. We had a foster child once that had it. I don't believe that it hurts them in any way and from what I've read it can be mildly contagious. From what I remember it doesn't take that long to clear up.
Hey Tiff-
We actually are dealing with this at the moment. My 3 week old baby and I are hopefully getting over this as we speak. I had it with my 22 mo old when he was born, too. Both children did not have any major symptoms, but we treated it as if we did. Thrush is an overabundance of yeast and yes, it can be contagious. Not that it's a disease, but it can alter another child's natural "flora." Like, my baby and I can pass it to and from each other (he's nursing) if it's not taken care of. For me, it showed up in the breasts and makes nursing a bit painful until my natural flora is restored. If you feel comfortable, you can go the medicine route, but be careful. The medications for the children are pretty intense and toxic to their system (especially so young, but your dr won't tell you that. He/she will tell you it's fine...). Thrush can hurt your daughter in that it can give her a sore throat and can make eating frustrating and difficult. But it's hard, of course, for her to tell you that. To help the process along more quickly, give her a major boost in her immune system to knock out the yeast and restore her natural flora. Do this by giving her some probiotics...have you heard of these? You can give her some Keifer (organic or not...you can find this at Trader Joe's or any other grocery store). This has natural "good bacteria" (probiotics) in it. Have you given her milk yet? If not, I would wait on this, then. It's like a yogurt, but much much much healthier. But if anything else, go to Whole Foods and buy some infant probiotic powder (get the refrigerated kind) and mix this with some formula or breast milk if you're still nursing. The bottle will tell you how much you can give her. Do this regularly (daily) and it will restore her body's natural balance and won't be toxic to her system. Plus, it will give her immune system a nice jump start for the flu season!! And keep doing it, it's soo good for her! I give my kids probiotics daily and it helps protect them from getting sick so often! Let me know if you have any other questions... :)
