In some cases, a whitish coating may occur in the oral cavity. Thus, thrush appears in children, which is a rather dangerous disease, especially if treatment is not done in a timely manner.
This disease is observed in the first years of a child’s life and is provoked by fungi of the genus Candida. In general, infection occurs when a baby passes through the birth canal of a mother who has been diagnosed with candidiasis. In addition, breastfeeding may be a provoking factor. Treatment must be carried out when the very first signs occur, without waiting for the further development of the disease and the occurrence of complications that significantly complicate the healing process.
What is a disease?
Thrush in children refers to one of the manifestations of a disease such as candidiasis. This is a fungal infection of the mucous membranes, nails, skin, and also the internal organs of a person, provoked by the yeast-like fungi Candida. The name of the disease is due to the fact that during its course, the entire mucous membrane is covered with a coating that is somewhat reminiscent of curdled milk. In infants, thrush mainly develops in the oral cavity.
The disease can occur in older children. Sometimes parents notice a whitish coating on the child’s tongue and take it for the remnants of milk after feeding. They are really somewhat similar, but after eating it is quite easy to clean the oral cavity. In the presence of a fungal disease, the curd mass very quickly reappears, and after its purification, red inflamed areas remain.
A small amount of Candida fungi is present in the body of absolutely every person from birth. However, they can be in a passive state for a long time and develop only under the influence of certain provoking factors, which include weakened immunity, the inflammatory process, as well as taking antibiotics.
The most susceptible to the development of the disease are premature babies than those born on time. In a child older than a year, thrush is much less common, since the body's defenses are activated.
Candidiasis in infants
The occurrence of white plaque in the mouth, which resembles sour milk in appearance, is considered the main sign of thrush in a child per month, the same is typical for older children. The baby at the same time becomes moody, refuses to eat food, ulcers and erosion form in his oral cavity, and redness is also observed. The accumulation of pathogens leads to the development of concomitant diseases.
Plaque can also appear on the genitals. Among the main reasons for this type of thrush in children up to a year, it is necessary to highlight the use of diapers of poor quality or constantly dirty diapers. If treatment is not done in a timely manner, then the disease can eventually develop into a more serious disease, such as herpes.
It is worth remembering that thrush in a child's mouth per month can occur when feeding a baby from dirty bottles and using unwashed nipples. Many mothers prefer to lick the nipple and give it to the baby’s mouth. However, it is strictly forbidden to do this, since along with my mother's saliva, bacteria enter the mouth of the baby and infection with candidiasis is not excluded.
You definitely need to know what thrush looks like in children and how it develops so that you can notice signs of the disease in a timely manner. The first stage of the development of the disease in infants passes almost imperceptibly and is accompanied by the formation of small reddish spots on the mucosa. After a while, the symptomatology becomes more pronounced.
With the subsequent development of the disease, the film becomes thicker and completely covers the mucous membrane, and small bleeding wounds form under it. The child becomes irritable, experiences a slight burning sensation in his mouth and often cries, refusing to eat food.
In the third stage, which is very difficult, plaque covers not only the oral mucosa, but also spreads to the lips, throat and tonsils. Among the concomitant signs of the disease, stool disorder, fever, drowsiness, lethargy, and refusal to eat can be distinguished.
In the first months of the baby's life, candidiasis is especially acute, especially in the case of frequent viral infections, and in the absence of timely treatment can go into a chronic form.
Causes of occurrence
The causes of thrush in children can be very different and various pathogenic factors that negatively affect the body can provoke the development of candidiasis. In this case, microbial balance is significantly disturbed. In the development of candidiasis, an important role is played by internal and external factors. Internal ones include:
- anomalies in the development of the child;
- conditions after surgery, hypovitaminosis;
- dysbiosis;
- some infectious diseases;
- spitting up.
In addition, there may be external factors in the development of thrush in children, which include, for example:
- chemical or mechanical injury;
- taking certain antibacterial drugs;
- the presence of candidiasis in a woman during pregnancy;
- breastfeeding in the presence of thrush in a woman.
Infection of the child can also occur when contacting the medical staff caring for the baby, if these people are carriers of infection.
The main symptoms
Thrush in children goes through several stages of development. At each stage, the problem is more and more aggravated and manifests itself in a variety of ways. The sooner a thrush is detected in a child in the mouth up to a year and at an older age, the easier it will be to treat the disease. The signs of candidiasis largely depend on the form of the course of the disease. Among the main symptoms of thrush in children can be identified such as:
- white plaque on the oral mucosa;
- anxiety, moodiness of the child;
- loss of appetite.
Over time, the plaque changes somewhat and becomes gray or yellowish. With a tampon or spatula, it is not so easy to remove, you can clean it only by applying effort. When plaque is removed, a drop of blood appears under it.
If the thrush proceeds in a very difficult stage, then the oral cavity, respiratory system and esophagus are covered with a continuous film. With the penetration of infection into the blood, sepsis may develop.
Candidiasis of the oral cavity can also be combined with thrush in the perineum, as well as inflammation of the genitals. In addition, in some cases, intestinal candidiasis may occur.
Candida angina
As a result of leakage in the oral cavity of thrush in a child at 2 years of age or at a younger age, candida angina can develop. In this case, a loose white coating forms on the tonsils. It is removed easily and the gland tissue is not damaged. The child is feeling quite well. The temperature can rise only if the thrush occurs along with colds.
Initially, plaque appears on the corners of the mouth, and then passes to the lips. They swell, dry out and itch all the time. A similar condition is observed for a relatively short time, and then the plaque gradually passes to the mucous membrane of the oral cavity and tonsils.
Genital thrush
In girls, vulvitis, which is candidiasis on the genitals, can occur. Often the disease develops after swimming in contaminated water. Among the main signs, redness in the genital area of the girl can be distinguished. In some cases, sexual candidiasis may occur in a boy, but this is very rare.
When the first signs appear, it is necessary to show the child to a pediatrician or pediatric gynecologist, since it is forbidden to conduct treatment on their own, so as not to provoke the occurrence of complications. The consequence of the course of this disease may be the fusion of the labia.
Diagnostics
If symptoms of the disease appear in a child, you should definitely contact a pediatrician, since with the formation of thrush, you need to establish exactly the main cause of development. Oral candidiasis is diagnosed based on available clinical data; additional microbiological examination is usually not required.
A complete diagnosis of candidal lesion is based on:
- available clinical picture data;
- cultural and microscopic studies;
- serological reactions.
When conducting a microscopic examination, the doctor makes a scraping from the mucosa, and then the resulting material is then examined under a microscope. A similar technique allows us to determine the presence of yeast-like cells and the mycelium of Candida fungi.
Bacteriological research implies that a sowing is carried out, in which the number of fungal colonies is determined, their type and susceptibility to drugs.
Sometimes the cause of poor treatment may be an increased sensitivity of the fungus to treatment with certain types of drugs. In this case, a more thorough examination is carried out.
In a serological study, blood is drawn and antibodies are detected in the serum. A similar examination method is considered the most reliable. In most patients, the reaction is positive.
Treatment feature
When treating thrush in children up to a year and older, the doctor determines the amount of therapy purely individually, depending on the characteristics of the child's body. In addition, the presence of allergies, concomitant pathological conditions, and the intake of certain medications is of great importance.
Often, local treatment is not enough, an integrated approach to therapy is required.
How to treat thrush in the mouth of a child? Only a qualified doctor can determine this. In conducting therapy, the identification and elimination of all the factors that led to the development of the disease is of paramount importance. In the initial, local, superficial forms of the lesion, only external, that is, local therapy should be carried out by irrigating the foci with disinfectant, anti-candida, alkalizing drugs.
The affected areas are cleaned with a sterile cotton swab dipped in an aqueous solution of potassium permanganate, a solution of soda, hydrogen peroxide or borax. After each such treatment of the oral cavity, it is worth lubricating the affected areas with a solution of Lugol, Iodinol. Repeat this procedure every 2-3 hours.
Treatment of thrush in children is carried out with the use of medications. A drug such as Candide, which is a powerful antifungal agent, has proven itself very well. Using a similar solution, the affected area is treated and white plaque is removed.
Another common drug for conducting therapy is Diflucan, which is available in the form of a solution or drops, Nystatin tablets. The dosage of the drug is selected by the doctor, depending on the available indications.
When treating thrush in children, Komarovsky strongly recommends strictly following all the doctor’s recommendations until he is completely recovered, as this will prevent the development of dangerous complications. The duration of therapy is generally 4 days, but to consolidate the result you need to continue all the prescribed procedures for another week.
In order to get the best and lasting result, the examination and treatment should also be additionally carried out by the mother so that the infection of the child does not recur. If a woman is breastfeeding, then during the period of therapy after each feeding, you need to thoroughly wash the breast with water and treat the nipples with soda solution or infusion of medicinal herbs. During the course of thrush, it is imperative to boil any object that may be in the child's mouth.
In the case of severe candidiasis and the absence of the required effect of therapy, the child can be hospitalized in the hospital and possibly intravenous administration of antimycotic drugs.
Folk remedies
Many parents are interested in how to treat thrush in children with folk remedies and methods. They have a very good effect, but it is worth remembering that all procedures must be carried out until the child is fully recovered. You can use all non-traditional drugs only after consulting a pediatrician, so as not to provoke the development of complications.
You can treat with soda. To treat the oral cavity, a soda solution is prepared, then you need to take a bandage, moisten it in the prepared product and gently remove the plaque from the surface of the oral mucosa. Such procedures should be carried out 4-5 times a day for a week.
In addition, you can lubricate the oral cavity with a honey solution. However, before using this medication, you should consult your doctor about the presence of an allergic reaction to beekeeping products. Honey has pronounced antimicrobial properties, and also helps to quickly and painlessly eliminate pathogens. Processing should be carried out several times a day.
You can lubricate the child's oral cavity with a solution of potassium permanganate, infusion of flowers of calendula, sage, chamomile. If the child has already learned to rinse his mouth, then you can apply decoctions and infusions of medicinal herbs to rinse.
Possible complications
If the course of the disease in a child is not recognized in a timely manner, then it can quickly go into the chronic stage. Even taking into account the fact that treatment of such a pathology is being successfully carried out now, the occurrence of complications is not excluded. Among the main causes of violations can be identified improper diagnosis, untimely therapy, as well as the lack of prevention.
Complications can occur in the form of sepsis, dehydration, as well as damage to the digestive tract. Particularly noteworthy are the dangerous consequences resulting from the absence of adequate treatment. This can be accompanied by the formation of adhesions, which leads to the fusion of the labia, which provokes the occurrence of significant discomfort during urination. As a result, surgery may be required.
Candidiasis in premature babies can be the most dangerous. In the absence of the required therapy, this can be fatal.
Prophylaxis
Prevention measures must be followed very strictly, they include the following:
- during pregnancy, you need to carefully monitor your health;
- during treatment and after recovery, it is important to follow a diet;
- early attachment of the baby to the chest is important
- with artificial feeding, you need to regularly sterilize the dummy.
If the very first signs of thrush occur in a child, you should immediately consult a doctor. Timely diagnosis and treatment will help to avoid dangerous consequences.