Toddler with a Yeast Infection

Both of my daughters are prone to yeast infections. What I do is once a day I give them cranberry juice to drink. It works wonders and it will clear the yeast infection up.

Do you have a family history of diabetes? If so, it would help to cut down on starches and/or sugars in you daughter's diet. It would also help to have her to drink lots of water and NOT to wear underpants at night(which is something that ALL females should do). You should also be careful about using products with deodorants, perfumes and fragrances. To prevent spreading the infection, wipe from front to back (which should always be the case anyhow), then reposition the tissue to rewipe. If the infection is active, aloe and antibiotic salves help to heal the raw areas.

You may need to have her stand up to wash instead of sitting in baths.

My daughter had 2 UTIs before she was 2 and had to get all of her plumbing checked out. She was perfectly fine. But her doctors suggested that she only shower and not have sit down baths.

Sit down baths could be the problem.

Hi, N.:

I'm so sorry that you're going through this with your daughter! I'd like to suggest, as a few other's have, that you begin your 2.5yr old on some probiotic supplement. The threads below are correct in that sugar feeds yeast, so you will need to cut those things (breads, cereals, fruits, milk, sweet beverages) out for a good 2wk period. I wouldn't even bother with yogurt at this point because probiotics are thousands of times stronger than yogurt and they're not going to contain that same sugar. I have used one on my daughter since she was born, now 12 mo, and even over the course of antibiotic tx, she's had a healthy gut. Probiotics can help cut back in digestional discomfort like gas and bloating too. In addition, when my daughter has had a nasty "yeast" diaper rash, our pediatrician (in Jax, Progressive Pediatrics with Dr.'s Miles and Ceron) have recommended Florastor for kids (this is available at Walgreens even). The US doesn't really push them, but Europe does.

Don't be fooled by marketing gimmicks like the Danactive and ... I forget the name of the other one...they're marketing their yogurt to contain "live cultures b. regularis" and things like that -- all yogurts have that same thing! Someone else mentioned Kefir, which is great, but not with the high sugar content right now.

I'm not sure why the pediatrician didn't further investigate, but I would recommend you really find out WHY she is getting these recurrent infections. Maybe she has a higher need for probiotics than some others do. Hope this helps -- you can google that pediatrician's name (they're off beach blvd and parental homes rd).

C.

Water, Water, Water and after she drinks THAT water give her some more! Cranberries, cranberry juice (with no added sugar) and let her go to bed with NO unders! She can wear a nightgown or jammies that are loose. My 8 yr old Gran who has been mine since 2 months has has problems since I got her.
All you can do is keep them clean and hope for the best (I have found) my Doc doesn't seem to feel it is a problem and to tell the truth lately we have slowed down. I keep the panties to a minimum when I can and stress cleanliness and LOTS of water.

We have moved some and each Doc dismissed the problem as your's has, so it must be OK as long as X number of problems within X amount of time doesn't happen!

A.

Hi N.,

Like many moms have told you, sugar feeds yeast. There is sugar in more things than fruit juices though. Simple carbs like white potatoes, pasta, or even breads can create more. ALSO, what I didn't see mentioned is that if yeast is present visibly then her sweet little body is eaten up with it. It starts internally and if it is found in the mouth, commonly known as thrush, or the bottom area then she needs a total cleansing.

Diet is essential because if you don't have that under control you just continue to feed it and it won't go away. Talnalbit from Intensive Nutrition will rid a body of it within 90 days if you remove all simple sugars from her diet. (Google it and make sure it's okay for a little one and what dosage would be necessary.) It's quite expensive but would be worth it. I know of another product I would recommend which is a probiotic/prebiotic that I KNOW it is fine for a newborn so it would work for your daughter. If you're interested in knowing more, let me know and I can send you some information on it.

Yeast for a short period of time is not dangerous but if left unattended it leads to all sorts of immune system problems that will have to be dealt with on a large scale later. It needs to be taken care of now. Let me know if I can be of any more help.

God bless!

M.

I am a mother of 2 girls and my youngest who is now 9 has reoccurring yeast infections and the best thing that i can do for her is after her shower(not a bath) i use bordereaux's butt paste on the outside and then i let her sleep with out underwear so that her little bottom can get some air. Normally after a day or two of this the problem is gone. Hope this helps.

Hi, my sister in-law has had UTI and infections since she was an infant, she got them all the time. I spoke with my mother inlaw and she said the doctor put her on antibiotics. She also said she couldn't use any type of lotion, baby powder or and kind of smelly soaps when she bathed her. As my sister in law got older she actually had start going commando, (no panties) and she hasnt' had a yeast infection or UTI since. Hope that helps and your baby gets better.

Well, One thing I know is if someone is on antibiotics, that causes yeast infections because it's killing the good bacteria, and the good bacteria has to be put back into our system. But that's not to say that's your child's situation. Did you google yeast infection? I'm sure antoher mom will have some more advice.
Good luck

N.,
I would really like to talk to you and share what I believe will help. I work with parents, like myself, that have children with chronic illnesses and learning disorders. This particular challenge can be solved by eliminating dairy for a period of time(which I am sure your dr suggested)and creating a healthier intestinal bacteria to fight the yeast. A Prebiotic would be very useful with the help of Vitamin C.
If you would like to know more or have any other questions, please feel free to email me at ____@____.com. I am a Palm Coast mother of 2 girls, 15yrs old and 3 yrs old, married for over 5 yrs.

We have noticed taking a bubble bath is a big culprit. and shampooing her hair in her bath water then playing afterwards. And just setting in bath water from when they have played outside. Clean tubs are important. These are a few things the pediatrician. mentioned to my daughter about my granddaughter. Good Luck.

There are a lot of great responses already. Be wary of even the organic yogurts, especially those marketed toward kids. They are very sugary! Give her plain yogurt that has no sugar added. Or if you must add sweetness, let it be a little bit of frozen blueberries. Sugar feeds yeast. That's why affecting her diet is the biggest key. Make sure she gets probiotics. We take a powdered form I mix into my daughter's drink once/day (or more when she is sick). Jarro is the brand we use. Toddlers love carbs and sugar and fruit, and naturally they need more than adults since they are running and playing and growing, but try to limit the simple sugars and try to make sure there's protein (which doesn't feed yeast). Good foods are eggs, Ezekial sprouted multigrain bread, nuts, beans. I try to limit my little girl's sugar intake and it is kind of hard, i admit. Read labels. Be creative. and try those other suggestions about clean bathwater, scentless detergent, etc. But remember, diet is the ultimate key. You must starve the yeast by eliminating sugar. For a drink, she could drink herbal tea instaed of juice, for instance. A good one for kids is sleepytime by celestial seasonings.

My daughter is 5 now but had problems like yours starting at around 2 also. We started giving here 1/2 of a chewable acidophilos tablet you can buy at the health food store. (They have to be kept refrigerated). This is the stuff in yogurt that helps control the yeast. This helped and our pediatrician also said not to let her play in dirty bath water. She suggested letting her play first and then do the washing. She also suggested that our daughter take a shower with me 3 to 4 times a week so she is not sitting in the water. We still do the shower thing a few times a week but do not get the tablets anymore. (My daughter eats yogurt almost daily too but it wasn't enough when she was younger.) When she does get irritated down there we use a little vaseline before bed and we really don't have much problems now. Oh, also make sure she is wiping very well after she urinates. Hope this helps.

Along with the other good advice that you've been given, I'd like to add one more thing: It is a healthy practice to have protein every time any kind of carbs are ingested. This is one more of those "balance" things and aids in the digestive process. Having the protein first is another factor.

Getting rid of the internal yeast will take your perseverance and consistency, but it can be wiped out! :)

I used to struggle with systemic yeast, so if you want to know more of what I did, feel free to contact me further.

C.

She could have a resistant strain, or it could be bacterial. Ask your pediatrician to do a culture or look at it under a microscope. She may need antibiotics, if bacterial, or an oral antifungal to get rid of it if it is a tough yeast.
Also, limit her intake of sugar...yeast loves sugary bodies as well as warm wet ones. Yogurt has a lot of sugar in it. Serve her her plain yogurt with fresh fruit or a little bit of All Fruit preseres to sweeten it. She will love mixing her won, too.
For some temporary relief of itching, try Vagisil. It has nothing in it to cure the problem, but I have used it on my daughters from time to time when they are irritated and it helped them.
Make sure she is wiping correctly, not having bubble baths, etc...same for avoiding UTI because those things can keep her skin there sensitive and vulnerable to infections.
All that said, though, a serious talk with the doctor is in order.
Best wishes,
P. (mother of 4, three of them girls)

my daughter would get these when she was given bubble baths too often. So know I'll give her one(bubble bath) every other week and she's not gotten one since.
hope this helps and good luck

Yeast lives on sugar. You mentioned she eats yogurt daily -- if it is plain then it is fine, but if it is the fruity kind then it has sugar which is keeping the yeast happily growing.

There is also a ton of sugar in all fruits and fruit juices, as well as in nearly any packaged processed food you find in the stores (including the health food stores). As most of the answers have indicated, this is an internal situation and the only cure is to drastically alter her diet: more greens, more raw vegetables, little or no fruits (for a while at least), and absolutely 100% NO sugar of any kind.

Read your pacakge labels carefully (fructose, corn syrup, etc is all sugar). Keep in mind that anything that tastes sweet has sugar in it. Also, artificially sweetened foods are quite unhealthy. It is better to eat more fresh raw vegetables and little or no packaged processed foods: this will help to bring back the ability to maintain a balanced healthy bacteria level, which will keep the yeast level down.

I also offer nutritional supplements that will help.

There are countless studies showing that candida (yeast) is at the root of many (or most, depending upon who you read) so-called "common ailments" that people are plagued with, from bad breath and indigestion to heart problems. Everyone has a certain amount of yeast present in their body; the extent of its effects depends upon the acid-alkaline balance which is what determines the intestinal bacteria balance.

Eliminating sugar completely will help tremendously, even if that is the only change you make. But increasing the raw vegetables and lessening the amount of packaged processed foods will help too ;-)

call YOUR OBGYN also Being diabeticcauses more yeast infections because thediabetic sugar feeds the yeast. When ever givn an antibitic my daughter and I always ask for yeast medicine

Yogurt is great. Keep up with that. I also found with my Daughter, when she was that age, white cotton underpants and NO bubblebaths. You could also add liquid yogurt along with the solid. This will give her something different and maybe one yogurt a day isn't enough. Good luck. She is 30 now and she did grow out of that stage at about 13.

Oh I could only imagine how uncomfortable she may feel. I do know that sometimes damp clothing and using the same towel sometimes contributes to yeast infections. Try using a different towel everyday for her. Sometimes the dampness from and already used towel causes these infections. Do you use Powder on her? Maybe that can handle some of the moisture.

Just a few suggestions.

Try feeding her yogurt daily. I have four girls ranging from 17 years in age to 5 months and they were all sensitive in the same way yours is. It is nothing you are doing wrong it is just a fact of nature in girls. Yogurt will help balance her ph level and it should help in the prevention of future rashes. This is something she will probably battle through life so getting her in the routine of a small amount of yogurt daily will only help her in the long run. Also, my pediatrician let me in on a little secret, the monistat cream that all of us women inevitable use can also be used as a topical treatment for the little ones you just have to use the 2% cream that usually comes in addition with the regualar strenth pack. I believe it is called the external vulvar cream. Just wipe a little on her twice a day and your good to go in about 24 hours she will have relief and in 3-4 days she should clear completely up. Lastly, you may try changing laundry soap on her undergarments ( I use Tide-Free for all of my girls' undergarments) and no bubble baths...those can also be reasons for rashes. Take care and good luck to you!

My daughter in law had this problem...severely. Finally a female Dr. told her to wash all of her underwear in Free and Clear (no artificial colors or scents) detergent. No problems since she started doing this...it was a miracle!