Have whitish deposits appeared on your baby’s gums, inside cheeks or tongue? Nevertheless, when you rub a little, you realize that it does not leave like the usual milk deposits? Unfortunately, it’s probably oral thrush! It is a benign but very contagious disease linked to the candida albicans fungus. Because baby’s immune system is weak, it can’t prevent candida from spreading. The problem is that if you do nothing, your baby may feel a little discomfort when feeding. In addition, the yeast can reach the digestive system, causing digestive problems: vomiting, loose stools and/or diaper rash that is resistant to the usual treatments. Here are some natural remedies to fight against baby thrush.
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1. Some tips against baby thrush
- Wash your hands thoroughly before and after caring for your baby.
- Carefully clean all objects that baby puts in his mouth: bottles, nipples, toys, teething rings, breast pumps… You can sterilize them if possible or use soapy water or white vinegar (4 to 5 tablespoons in a large bowl of boiling water).
- After breastfeeding, clean and rinse the nipples with a mixture of water and vinegar or water and baking soda (one large spoonful in 250 ml of water).
- To avoid maceration and moisture that can lead to fungus, change bras and nursing pads often. Wash separately any cloths that have been in contact with baby’s mouth or your milk. You can even boil bibs, towels, sheets and washcloths that baby has sucked on.
- If the baby has thrush, the mother’s nipples are often infected too. There is a risk of contamination from mother to child and from child to mother. So remember to treat the baby’s chest as well, not just the mouth cavity where you see the whitish coating!
2. Gentian violet against baby’s thrush
We already told you about this remedy for a completely different subject. This product can indeed also be used to dejaune blond hair! Nevertheless, it remains above all one of the most traditional and known grandmother’s remedies against mycosis and especially in treatment of thrush. It must be said that in addition to being antiseptic, it is also a powerful antifungal. Its only defect is that its deep purple tint can quickly stain so be careful when using it. In addition, it should never be used for more than a week. To do this, we take a 1% concentrated tincture with a cotton swab and apply it in baby’s mouth or on the nipples before feeding.
Good to know : In pharmacies, you can also find colloidal silver. This antifungal, antiseptic and antibiotic product can be applied to the breasts. The mother can also drink 10 ml a day as a background treatment to stimulate her immunity.
3. Against baby thrush, choose the right vegetable oils
Breastfeeding women often use lanolin to nourish and soothe the skin. In case of oral thrush in children, it is better to ban this product that nourishes the yeast. To ideally replace it while treating the yeast, use cold-pressed organic coconut oil before and after breastfeeding instead! It is antibacterial and antifungal in addition to moisturizing the breast tips. In addition, it can also be applied directly to baby’s oral mucosa.
In organic stores, you will also find the famous neem oil. Very antibacterial and antifungal, you can use it after feeding to disinfect and heal your sore nipples. It will calm your pains, skin irritations (even burning sensations) and itching. However, you will have to wash your breast well before feeding your baby so that he doesn’t get any in his mouth. He will surely not appreciate its very bitter taste. Besides, we often use it to stop biting our nails!
4. Grapefruit seed extract, less known, but powerful
Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) is a very powerful natural antibiotic. It allows to face a number of infections as well as its antibacterial and antifungal properties make it essential in the treatment of fungi and moulds. It can be used as well for the mother as for its small. As a local treatment, dilute 5 drops in 30 ml of distilled water. Apply it on your nipples with a compress or with a cotton swab in baby’s mouth (before feeding). Internally, you can dilute 10 drops in a glass of water and drink it three times a day.
Caution:
With a baby, consulting a doctor is always safer for all health issues. This is especially important if the fungal infection is persistent. The doctor will usually prescribe an antifungal cream to be applied in the child’s mouth. It tastes good and mixes with the child’s saliva to fight the fungus in the digestive tract. The treatment should then be used for a minimum of ten days. Often, the whitish patches disappear quite quickly (two-three days). However, it is necessary to persist for a very effective elimination of the candida even if it is not visible any more. Before feeding and before applying the antimycotic gel, the baby’s mouth and the mother’s nipple should generally be cleaned with alkaline water. You can use a water with bicarbonate of soda, such as Vichy Celestins or Saint-Yorre water.
Sometimes, the doctor or the pharmacist also advise taking probiotics for babies. They strengthen and rebalance the intestinal flora to better fight the fungus and avoid recurrence. In short, our advice does not replace the advice of a pediatrician, but it can relieve an infant and his mother.