Oral Thrush in Toddlers

Babies get oral thrush for different reasons, and you can notice it right away because of the white patches in the mouth. Toddlers however will have a different symptom. You will notice red spots on the tongue and swollen lip, usually bright red and painful to touch. Your toddler won't be able to eat because of the pain and might complain about it. Thrush is in fact an oral yeast infection caused by the yeast "Candida albicans".

The doctor will prescribe a mouth wash called "magic mouth wash" this is used to swish and spit for relief (it may contain lidocaine, diphenhydramine,antacids and even liquid tetracycline).You will also be given Nystatin, a yellow antifungal liquid given orally to fight the bacteria. To also help your child with the pain you can put some Vaseline on your child's lip, it will make it feel numb. The infection will go away in about a week but if you notice it getting worse or your toddler develop blisters you will need to see your doctor again to receive additional medicine.
Also be aware of your child temperature, as thrush causes fever and also a itch less rash. Reasons why your child got oral thrush can be many, here are a few.

Bad hygiene:
Make sure you clean your child's hands constantly, especially when playing outside. Bacteria can stick in between nails and when your child puts there hands in there mouth the bacteria will spread causing oral thrush.

Antibiotics:
Some antibiotics can cause a bacterial infection, so always make sure you log your dosage intake in a calendar just to make sure if an antibiotic could have caused it.

Toys:
Does your toddler put a lot of toys in his/her mouth? wash and disinfect toys before letting your little one use them.

By following good hygiene you can be sure to prevent oral thrush, but this does not mean your child cannot acquire it, your child's immune system is still too weak to fight off some infections. Just keep an eye on what your child is playing with and placing in their mouth so you can avoid any bacteria.

You can find more information at www.babystoday.com