Thrush
Oropharyngeal candidiasis (Latin name)By Bjarne Lühr Hansen PhD, MD and Philipp Skafte-Holm MD, Mentor Institute
Thrush is an infection in the oral cavity caused by fungi. The disease is very common during the first months following the birth. Thrush appears as milk white spots on the tongue, on the palate and on the inside of the cheeks. Thrush is contagious. Contact the doctor if the spots do not disappear after a few days treatment with soda water. A doctor can make a prescription for a fungicide remedy.
Thrush is an infection in the mouth caused by a fungus (Candida albicans). The mother often infects the child at birth since many women have the fungus in their vagina. Having fungi in the mouth does not have to cause problems for the child. Almost half of all children have fungi in the mouth, without it causes any problems. Only in those cases where the fungi spread, thrush can break out. It is not precisely known why some children develop thrush, although it is known that thrush can break out if the child is treated with antibiotics or asthma medication. However, many children get thrush even though they are not medicated.
Thrush is a comparatively harmless infection. Some children are not bothered at all while others have difficulty sucking or eating. Thrush appears as milk white, overlapping spots or huddles on a crimson mucous membrane. The spots appear on the inside of the cheeks, on the tongue and on the palate. When the white spots are removed the underlying mucous membrane appears very red and bleeding may occur.
The white spots of the thrush can be mistaken for left over milk in the oral cavity. It is not thrush if the spots disappear entirely after the child has drunk, for example some water. The white spots that appear with thrush cannot be flushed away like left over milk.