I was at a party last Friday night with my 8 week old who stuck her cute tongue out while I was chatting to a friend. “Oh I think your baby might have oral thrush,” my friend said as I somewhat anxiously peered into my daughter’s mouth. “Oral thrush!” I replied, “yuck that sounds awful. That then means I must have a yeast infection.” That night I went online to try and figure out if Leia has oral thrush. According to the website, KidsHealth, “Most infants naturally have the yeast candida albican in their mouths. Because their immune systems are not yet mature, the amount of yeast in the mouth can overgrow and lead to an infection.”

The website goes on to say, “Oral thrush usually occurs within the first 6 months of life, and a baby with the infection will develop cracked skin in the corners of the mouth, and whitish or yellowish patches on the lips, tongue, or inside the cheeks.” I also read the baby can get nasty diaper rash and oral thrush may also occur after a round of antibiotics taken by either the mother or baby.

The only symptom I have seen on Leia so far is a slightly milky tongue (which apparently would be red underneath if I tried to srape away the milkiness) and my nipples are sore (another symptom for the mother) which I just attributed to a hungry baby but the problem is that a ping pong effect between my nipple and the baby’s mouth is occurring, so I need to treat myself at the same time as treating the baby. To treat oral thrush, you might want to explore the following:

- Washing your nipples after each feed in a solution mix of 1 tbs of white distilled vinegar in 1 cup of water. After drying the nipple, apply an antifungal cream such as Nyastin.
- Make sure your bras are clean (no milk spillage) and change your pads every time you feel a let down of milk
- Regular dosages of acidophilus (up to 6 capsules a day). I think Nature’s Way (you get it in the refrigerated section at health food stores) Primadophilus Bifidus is a good product. Keep it in the fridge. You can also open a capsule and add 1/3 to some yogurt and give it to the baby.
- Lots of garlic or 4 capsules of Kyolic or Kwai brand garlilc.
- Gentian violet - here’s a link to a really interesting article by Jack Newman (the boob, lactation and nipple expert). He explains about my nipple pain and how to really solve the problem (but do I want my daughter to have a purple mouth????). I thought Gentian Violet was a herb but actually it is derived from coal tar.
- Lots of yogurt (it helps restore a balance of organisms in the mouth and intestines) and place some room temperature plain yogurt (no more than 1-3 teaspoons a day) in the baby’s mouth on the tongue and on the side of the mouth (haven’t managed to do that so easily). Use a clean finger to put the yogurt in the baby’s mouth. If you or your baby are sensitive to dairy, Aviva also recommends pure apple cider vinegar which is the remedy of choice for washing Mom’s nipples. Dilute 1 tbs per 1/2 cup of water.
- It’s also good to boost your immune system with Echinacea (3-4 capsules a day)
- When using Nyastin and Diflucon for tough cases, Breastfeedingonline recommends after each feeding (or every 3 hours) apply antifungal (Nystatin) solution to mouth, gently rubbing it around to cheeks and gums with a finger. The bottle instructions recommend applying every 6 hours, but since yeast grows back in 1 1/2 hours, it will be more effective if you give half the dosage every 3 hours. Don’t skip nighttime. Some mothers are reluctant to wake a sleeping baby after the feeding to give the antifungal, so it can be given before feeding as well. Infant Diflucan is very effective in treating yeast overgrowth (thrush). If using infant Diflucan, use as directed.

Dietary requirements for the mother-
Drink lots of water
Eliminate breads cooked with yeast, wheat, sugars (including fruit juice, fruit and sweeteners like honey) and heavy starches.
Start eating things like meat, fish, vegetables, beans and some whole grains like brown rice and millet. I started on this diet last Saturday and let me tell you after months of really not thinking twice, this was not easy. I have found a thick tasty carrot soup to be a godsend for my sweet tooth, and I am eating lots of whole fat yogurt and nuts. If you want to take a look at an anti-candida diet, have a look at the Yeast Connection website.
. Scroll down and take a look at the shopping list for what food you can eat.

Here’s my carrot soup recipe….
1 large bag of organic carrots (around 10 large carrots) and top and tail and peel them
2 white onions
5 garlic cloves
1 large handful of organic parsley
1 tsp of coriander
Olive oil
Sea salt and ground pepper
2 large cups of spring water

Put 4 tablespoons of oiive oil in large soup pot and cook the garlic (coursely cut) and onions (cut into thick slices) on mid heat. Then add the parsely (also coursely cut) and salt and pepper (approx 1 tsp of salt and half a teaspoon of pepper). Once the onions have softened, add the carrots and sautee for two minutes. Then add two large cups of spring water. Put lid on pot and let cook on a mid low heat for 45 mins.

Place everything in blender. The consistency should be thick and creamy. If it is too thick, add some more water. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Yum!

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March 29th, 2007 | Permalink