The newborn in the first month often sleeps and eats. If at this time the mother suddenly finds white spots on his gums, then she begins to panic and sound the alarm. And he does it for good reason. Any neoplasm in the mouth of a crumb can cause him discomfort, the baby's appetite spoils, he becomes moody. White dots do not always indicate the presence of the disease, but it is best to find out the cause of this.
What are the white dots on the gums?
When they are found, the main thing is to calm down and once again check the child’s gums. You should know that most often at this time the baby eats breast milk and white dots on the gums of the baby may be milk residues that do no harm to him.
If this is not just a white coating of milk, then the following options for such an ailment in a newborn are possible:
- Bon nodules;
- neonatal teeth;
- catarrhal stomatitis;
- candidal stomatitis ;
- calcium deficiency in the baby's body.
In addition, white spots on the gums of the baby can occur due to cysts, HIV infection, diabetes, gum cancer and other diseases, but such options are quite rare. You should not immediately think about the worst, but it is best to carefully check everything.
Bon's nodules in newborns
If white spots were found on the baby's gums, then they are most likely Bon nodules, which are often found in newborns. Many mothers suggest that these are the first teeth of the baby, since such nodules look very much like them. Bon nodules on the gums are small cysts.
Several such nodules may form in the oral cavity. They do absolutely no harm and after a while they themselves disappear. But in any case, the baby should be shown to the pediatrician so that he accurately determines the cause of these spots.
Do not confuse Bon's nodules with Epstein's pearls. Although they are similar in their appearance, the latter appear on the palate. Epstein's pearls are also completely harmless and disappear after a while.
Neonatal teeth
The cause of the appearance of white spots on the gums of a newborn can be teeth that begin to erupt. Most often this happens at the age of 6 months , but teeth can appear earlier, sometimes in the first month of life of the crumbs. In this case, they are called neonatal. Also, a newborn may already be born with teeth called natal.
Teeth that appeared so early have soft enamel, which leads to their strong destruction. If the baby’s bite does not suffer from neonatal teeth, then they should not be touched, but dentists most often recommend removing them.
Stomatitis in a newborn
White spots on the gums of the baby can occur due to stomatitis. This phenomenon is quite frequent, although the child, except for parents, relatives and his toys, no longer has contact with anyone.
Catarrhal stomatitis affects the baby's body most often due to lack of hygiene. The penetration of viruses into the oral cavity occurs along with dirty toys, carelessly washed bottles and dummies, if the mother’s mammary glands are not processed very carefully, as a result of which many microbes accumulated there.
The child often becomes infected with stomatitis from adults. He can catch an infection at the time of his birth, passing through the birth canal of his mother, who is the carrier of such a fungal disease as thrush. However, any other adult is able to infect the baby if hygiene is not observed, for example, if he licks a dummy to give it to a child.
Candida fungus manifests itself with a reduced immunity of the baby, for example, when he is sick or his teeth erupt.
In addition, stomatitis can occur due to the use of antibiotics by both the child and his mother if she is breastfeeding.
White plaque due to calcium deficiency
White spots on the gums of the baby can form due to calcium deficiency. Its deficiency causes not too nutritious mother's milk, and this is due to poor nutrition of a nursing woman or if she has bad habits.
Treatment of white spots in infants
If the baby is calm, not naughty, eats well, then a white coating occurs, most likely due to a lack of calcium. A woman should simply review her diet or give up bad habits.
If stomatitis is diagnosed in infants, treatment should be as follows:
- After each feeding, the baby should be given a spoonful of boiled water - this will help remove food residues from the mouth.
- Before breastfeeding, a woman must rinse her breasts, which will help to avoid the entry of bacteria along with milk. After feeding, breasts should be treated. It is best to use a soda solution for this.
- Treatment of infants can also consist in removing plaque, which must be cleaned several times a day with baking soda. For this, a soda solution is also prepared by adding 1 tsp to a glass of water. soda. After that, a bandage is wound on the finger, moistened in this solution and the baby's mouth cavity is carefully treated.
- Many women use honey instead of soda, as the child likes it more. The solution is prepared in the same way as with soda, only in this case a teaspoon of honey is diluted with two tablespoons of water.
- In addition, if stomatitis is detected in infants, treatment can be carried out with a drug such as Candide. It is a proven and safe antimicrobial agent. Although it has an unpleasant taste, it quickly relieves the child of stomatitis. Processing takes place in the same way as soda.
In any case, if the baby has white dots on the gums, you should definitely contact a pediatrician who will establish the true cause of the disease and prescribe an effective treatment.
Preventative measures
So that the white dots on the gums of the baby no longer appear, it is necessary to monitor the cleanliness of the toys and your chest. You should not give your child drinks sweet drinks, because Candida fungi multiply very quickly in a sweet environment. If a friend or relative has herpes, you should protect the baby from close contact with them, since this disease can provoke the occurrence of stomatitis. You should also periodically visit the dentist, who can notice the disease on time.
Output
The appearance of white dots on the gums of the newborn should not be ignored, as they can indicate various diseases. If at home you could not cope with this ailment, you should definitely visit a pediatrician.