What to do when a baby has thrush?

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Tongue thrush (commonly known as thrush) is a common disease in infants and young children. So what is thrush? Is thrush in babies dangerous? And what to do to handle the phenomenon of thrush for the baby? Does thrush really solve the problem of tongue fungus? This article will answer the above questions.

1. What is thrush?

Thrush, also known as thrush, is a condition in which the lining of the mouth, tongue, throat and possibly the esophagus becomes infected with candida, causing the appearance of a white pseudomembranous membrane that adheres firmly to the surface of the tongue and pharynx. , difficult to come off when cleaning, causing burning pain and bleeding when rubbed.
Tongue thrush can occur at any age but is more common in infants, young children and the elderly.
Several factors increase the risk of thrush in infants:
Having a weakened immune system, which can be congenital or due to diseases of the immune system such as HIV, cancer.. .; Are taking antibiotics or corticosteroids to treat the disease; The mother has a yeast infection of the genitals during pregnancy or a yeast infection of the breast while breastfeeding; Children often have dry mouth.

2. What to do when the child has thrush?

2.1.For mild cases of thrush For mild cases of thrush, which are not yet required to use medication, oral hygiene care and thrush brushing can be carried out on the advice of a doctor. will be quickly remedied. In the matter of hygiene for children with thrush, brushing thrush is one of the important techniques to help the disease be repelled quickly. Steps to brush your baby's tongue:
Wash your hands with an antiseptic solution to ensure sterility; Have the child stay in bed or hold the child if the child is uncooperative;

Use a soft gauze pad wrapped around the tip of the index finger one at a time or wear a sterile tube thrush; Dip a swab finger in the pre-prepared 500,000 unit Nystatin solution and then gently touch the child's lower lip to open the mouth. Gently place your finger wrapped in gauze on the top of the tongue, wipe from the inside out, then change the gauze pad. Repeat a second time if the child has many patches of thrush; Change the gauze pad to wipe the inside of the cheeks, on the roof of the mouth, the gum area with other places in the child's oral cavity; Note when brushing thrush for children:
Do not let the thrush fall into the child's mouth, do not put your finger too deeply, it will irritate the throat, vomit, even hurt the throat; Thrush with a solution containing antifungal active ingredients, or 0.9% NaCl salt solution 4 times a day; Touch the child's tongue with medicine 30 minutes before each meal to avoid vomiting; Do not use honey to brush thrush for children under 12 months old; Do not arbitrarily brush your child's tongue with medicine without a doctor's prescription and guidance; Do not use thrush in any way because it will cause bleeding, there may be a risk of infection; In the case of children with mild tongue thrush, physiological saline or 1% povidine iodine solution can be used to gargle daily. For infants and young children who do not know how to rinse their mouths, mothers use gauze soaked in solution to clean the child's oral cavity every day, especially after eating.
2.2. Drug treatment Thrush is caused by fungus, so when treating severe cases of fungus, it is necessary to use antifungal drugs with doses appropriate to the age and current disease status. Common drugs used to treat tongue fungus such as nystatin, mycostatin, miconazole,...
Nystatin: A very good and safe antifungal drug in infants and young children with thrush; Treatment time is used continuously for 7 days by opening the child's mouth; Dosage: Sugar coated tablet form 500,000 units, each use 1/5 tablet mixed with 1ml of physiological saline 0.9% NaCl or boiled water to cool. Then use a clean gauze pad to wrap around your index finger to brush your child's tongue. Miconazole: belongs to the group of synthetic imidazole drugs, effective against many different fungi. How to use: apply topically in the form of an oral gel with a concentration of 2%. Note when using miconazole:

Do not use in case the child is allergic to miconazole or has liver disease; Possible side effects when taking the drug: digestive disorders (vomiting, nausea, sometimes diarrhea) hepatitis, rash...; Use a moderate amount of gel to avoid blockage in the child's throat causing choking; Ask your doctor if your child is taking other medications. In severe cases of fungal infection, the child refuses to breastfeed and has a lot of pain, and has extensive fungal infections, it is necessary to use a combination of oral systemic antifungals such as fluconazole or itraconazole.
Note when treating drugs:
Do not try to remove thrush in any form because it will cause bleeding; After the treatment is stable, because the disease is easy to relapse, it is necessary to continue touching the child's tongue for at least 2 days, regularly cleaning the child's mouth; Both mother and baby should be treated during treatment; Thrush is not a dangerous disease, but if it is not treated for a long time, it will affect the surrounding parts, especially in the pharynx and digestive system. In the treatment of tongue fungus, in addition to medication, hygiene also plays an equally important role. Proper hygiene, proper brushing technique combined with medication according to the doctor's prescription, the baby's health will always be guaranteed.

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