One of the most common forms of stomatitis in infants is candidiasis. In everyday life, it is called thrush, it is one of the most common types of stomatitis in early childhood. Especially often, such inflammation of the oral mucosa appears in infants. Why can such stomatitis develop in the baby's mouth, how does it manifest itself and how is it treated?
Symptoms
In babies under 12 months old, stomatitis caused by a fungal infection is manifested by the appearance of sores on the oral mucosa. They are painful and covered with a white coating that looks like cottage cheese. The plaque can be removed with gauze, and then a wound is visible under it, which is bleeding. Due to the great soreness of such ulcers, the baby with stomatitis behaves restlessly, does not want to eat and cries a lot when they want to feed him.
It is also important for parents to learn that a whitish coating on the tongue does not always indicate stomatitis and can be found in healthy children who eat both breast milk and artificial mixtures. With thrush, plaque will be not only on the surface of the tongue, but also on other parts of the oral mucosa, and when it is removed, the surface will bleed. If the plaque is milky, then it is easily removed and does not leave wounds. In addition, with stomatitis, there will be symptoms such as itching and soreness, and milk plaque will not bother the baby in any way.
Causes
The causative agent of such a disease in infants is candida. This is the name of the yeast that is found in the mouth, intestines and on the skin of many people without causing disease. So it will not be possible to completely protect the baby from candida with the help of hygienic measures.
However, fungi cause inflammation only in cases when the baby's immunity is reduced (the baby has a cold, dysbacteriosis, teething, had to take antibiotics, the baby was born prematurely) or the mother does not follow the rules of hygiene (often thrush is transmitted from the mother). Injuries to the mucous membrane, as well as frequent regurgitation, can also lead to thrush.
In addition, fungi multiply more actively in the presence of sugar, so the risk of thrush increases if the mother gives the baby sweetened water or a very sweet mixture, and also consumes large quantities of sweets while breastfeeding.
Disease development
The first signs of the disease are redness on the mucous membrane of the mouth, which may go unnoticed. After two to three days, a white bloom appears on them and elements of stomatitis become like white spots. They increase in size, can become grayish and yellowish, and spread to fairly large areas of the mucous membrane.
The more the lesions are, the more discomfort they will cause in the baby. If the disease is started, the plaque covers a large area of the mucous membrane, the child may have a fever, and because of the pain the baby cannot suck or swallow.
Forms
Depending on the course, the stomatitis caused by candida is:
- Lightweight. Plaque is present in small quantities, the general condition of the baby is not disturbed, the child may behave restlessly and often attach to the breast or nipple. Refusal to eat is possible.
- Medium severity. The body temperature can rise to subfebrile, the child is lethargic, refuses to eat. Plaque is very common and looks like a film covering the mucous membrane.
- Severe form. The child's temperature rises, he is drowsy, lethargic, refuses to eat. There is also an increase in lymph nodes and the appearance of bad breath. The plaque becomes denser, becomes yellowish, occupies a large surface.
Diagnostics
Since the disease has a rather characteristic clinical picture, only a doctor's examination is needed for the diagnosis. If the pediatrician has doubts, then a smear from the baby's oral cavity will help to confirm the presence of fungal stomatitis, with the help of which candida will be detected.
How to treat?
Before feeding, lesions on the mucous membrane should be treated with agents that give an analgesic effect. These can be special anesthetic gels that are used for teething of milk teeth.
Treatment of the baby's mouth with a solution of soda is highly effective against thrush in the mouth, the main purpose of which is to create an alkaline environment in the mouth:
- A teaspoon of soda dissolves in a glass of heated boiled water.
- The mom then wraps her finger in gauze or a bandage, dips it in the soda solution, and gently rubs the baby's mouth. At the same time, there is no need to try to remove the white plaque, the mother should simply moisten the areas of the lesions and gently wipe them, without achieving the appearance of bleeding wounds.
- The procedure is carried out 4-5 times a day.
If the baby does not have the risk of an allergic reaction, the areas of inflammation can be treated with honey diluted in water. A teaspoon of this sweet delicacy is diluted in two teaspoons of water, and then the child's mouth is treated up to 5 times a day in the same way as soda treatment is carried out.
Antifungal agents such as fluconazole and nystatin are used in the treatment of severe fungal stomatitis in newborn babies and infants. The antifungal medication prescribed by the doctor is applied to the oral mucosa after feeding and the baby is not fed for 30 minutes. Such processing is carried out 3-4 times a day.
Treatment Tips
- Many mothers treat babies' mouths with dye solutions (blue, brilliant green). Such treatment will not harm the child, but it will not have a strong effect on the course of thrush.
- It is important for mom to remember that the danger of thrush in newborns and nursing infants is primarily associated with the risk of dehydration. The child, due to painful ulcers, refuses water and food, and the secretion of saliva in this pathology increases. If your mom notices any signs of dehydration, it's important to take action right away.
- To reduce the risk of recurrence of fungal stomatitis, you should treat the nipples and utensils that are used to feed the baby. Processing involves boiling in water with the addition of baking soda.
- Mom is also advised to treat her nipples with a solution of soda or honey.
E. Komarovsky's opinion
A well-known pediatrician believes that the main reason for the appearance of fungal stomatitis in young children is the deterioration of the protective properties of saliva due to drying out in the mouth. According to Komarovsky, this is caused by rare walks, prolonged crying, shortness of breath for the baby, as well as too dry air in the room.
A popular doctor recalls that the presence of a whitish plaque in the tongue of a child under one year old is a variant of the norm and one should only worry if such a plaque appears on the inside of the cheeks.
Komarovsky calls the most effective way to prevent and treat such stomatitis as actions aimed at producing child saliva and restoring its bactericidal properties. This requires frequent walks and humidifying the air in the room. In addition, after milk, the baby should be given a few sips of water. Komarovsky also calls rubbing the elements of fungal stomatitis with a solution of soda an effective method.
Do you need a special diet?
Babies who receive their mother's milk continue to breastfeed with thrush. At the same time, mother must correct her diet by removing sweets, foods with chemical additives, and fast food from it. If the child has already begun to introduce complementary foods, then with stomatitis, all food should be soft (mashed potatoes would be the best option), not sweetened, not sour (sour fruits are prohibited) and warm (very hot should not be given).
Possible consequences of the disease
In addition to the high risk of dehydration, which is very dangerous for infants, candidal stomatitis can cause more serious infections to enter the child's body through bleeding sores in the mouth. In addition, if fungal stomatitis develops in a girl, she has an increased risk of infection with candida and the vaginal mucosa, which threatens the formation of synechia.
Prevention
To minimize the risks of candidal stomatitis, you should:
- To cure candidiasis in mom during pregnancy.
- Carefully monitor hygiene - wash your hands regularly, monitor the frequency of the mammary glands, boil nipples and bottles, wash baby's toys.
- Breastfeed your baby, thereby supporting the baby's immunity.
- After feeding, give the baby a few sips of boiled water.
- Limit sweets on the breastfeeding mom's menu and avoid giving the baby sugary drinks.
