Treatment of oral thrush in children

The article was professionally approved by Master, Doctor Doan Ngoc Quynh Tram - Pediatrician - Neonatology Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.

Oral thrush in children usually occurs between birth and 1 year of age and can recur repeatedly. The cause is often due to the child's immune system and resistance are not fully developed. So at these ages it is difficult to take care of oral health, how should oral thrush be treated?

The cause of oral thrush in children is mainly Candida yeast, an opportunistic fungus that is always present in the human body, especially in children. Fungi often exist in relatively moist areas such as the lining of the mouth, intestines, vagina, groin, skin folds. When hygiene or resistance is poor, they can thrive and cause disease. The fungus can also be transmitted from mother to child during birth or secondary infection after birth.
The main factors that cause children to get oral thrush can be mentioned as:
Children are using antibiotics, causing dysbiosis Children with inguinal ring are easy to cause inguinal fungus and spread to other areas by contact, poor hygiene The mother has a fungal infection in the nipple or external appendage. The mother is using antibiotics, steroids, antacids, ...

Oral thrush in children is quite common and not too dangerous if parents properly recognize and handle it well for the child. The first thing to do is to clean the child's teeth and can be treated topically with an antifungal medication prescribed by the doctor. Besides, it is necessary to note a few issues after brushing thrush for children:
Should have thrush for children before eating, when the child is hungry because the process may cause vomiting in children. Mothers need to wash their hands thoroughly, then wrap a piece of gauze around your finger (the finger used is the right size for the child's mouth) and dip it in cooled boiled water to soften the gauze to avoid rubbing. too strong for children. Then, use a gauze soaked in antifungal medicine (usually Nystatin or Miconazole with appropriate doses) to rub the thrush in order from the cheeks, other areas of the palate and finally the tongue, from the outside to the inside to minimize the risk of infection. vomiting muscle of children. Should continue to check the child's mouth for another 2 days with antifungal medicine after the fungus is gone to avoid the recurrence of the fungus. Give your child a maximum of 3-4 times a day and a maximum of 7 days. If after 7 days the child does not get better, you can consult a doctor to use other antifungal drugs such as Nystatin oral tablets. In addition, it is also important to clean everyday items thoroughly to avoid spreading germs.

Some measures that can prevent oral thrush in children include:
Clean the child's oral cavity and tongue properly after eating: give the child filtered water to clean the oral cavity and tongue after eating or let the child gargle. mouth with 0.9% physiological saline solution. Wipe the child's tongue daily with physiological saline, 2 times in the morning and before going to bed. Take the child to a medical center that specializes in pediatrics for the best treatment when proper hygiene, but oral thrush does not subside When brushing the child's tongue with honey (recommended only for children over 1 year old) need Let children drink filtered water, dessert to avoid leaving sugar in the mouth and only use a very small amount of honey to avoid burning the child's tongue. Absolutely do not arbitrarily use oral drugs or antibiotics, sprinkled on the child's tongue to avoid causing tongue ulcers. Oral thrush in children is a fairly common condition, although the disease is not too dangerous, however, parents should not be subjective and need to take the child to the doctor as well as take reasonable care measures to prevent oral thrush. was in remission and did not recur in subsequent visits.
Currently, Pediatrics - Vinmec International General Hospital has successfully cured and treated many cases of infants and young children with problems of tongue fungus, diaper rash, digestion, nutrition... For tongue fungus in children, most doctors will treat it with drugs, but each age and condition will have different treatment directions. In addition, the doctor will also directly discuss with parents about the child's condition and advise on how to take care and nutrition to best suit the health of each child.
With a team of highly qualified doctors with many years of experience, combined with equipment, good medical quality will bring satisfaction to parents and ensure the best health for their children.