What Are the Causes of Thrush?

Thrush, also known as snow mouth disease and candidiasis, is infected by fungi and is a common disease in children's oral cavity. White plaques are formed on the oral mucosal surface, which are more common in infants and young children. The disease is caused by a Candida albicans infection. The fungus is sometimes found in the mouth and can develop when infants are malnourished or physically weak.

Basic Information

nickname

Snow mouth disease, candidiasis

English name

thrush

English alias

Moniliasis

Visiting department

Pediatrics

Multiple groups

Infants under 2 years

Common locations

Oral mucosa

Common causes

Caused by oral mold infection

Common symptoms

Oral mucosa appears milky white, slightly high plaque, like milk

Contagious

no

Causes of thrush

Thrush is caused by Candida albicans infection. Candida albicans is one of many microorganisms. It usually occurs in babies with dirty mouths and malnutrition, and can also occur in frail adults. Candida albicans is also often found in the mouth of healthy children, but it is not pathogenic.

The following conditions can cause infections:

1. The mother has a fungal infection in the vagina. The baby is infected through the birth canal at the time of birth.

2. Bottles and pacifiers are not completely disinfected. When breastfeeding, mother's nipples are not clean.

3. Contact food, clothing and toys infected with Candida. In addition, infants and young children begin to grow teeth at 6 to 7 months, and their gums have a mild sensation of pain. They like to bite their fingers and toys, which can easily bring bacteria and mold into the cavity and cause infection.

4. Live a collective life in a kindergarten, sometimes with thrush due to cross infection.

5. Taking antibiotics for a long time, or improper application of hormone therapy, causes imbalance in the flora of the body, and mold enters.

Thrush clinical manifestations

Infants and young children under 2 years old are most common.

1. The oral mucosa has a milky white, slightly high plaque, and there is no inflammatory reaction around it, which looks like a milk mass. It is painless. After wiping off the plaque, you can see the red wound without bleeding below. The plaque area varies in size and can appear on the mucous membranes of the tongue, cheeks, palate, or lips.

2. Occurs on the mucous membranes of the cheeks, tongue, soft palate and lips. White patches are not easy to wipe off with cotton swabs or wet gauze.

3. When the infection is mild, white spots are not easy to find, there is no obvious pain, or there is a painful expression only when eating. In severe cases, your baby will be upset with pain, have a poor appetite, cry, have difficulty in breastfeeding, and sometimes have mild fever.

4. The damaged mucosa can be continuously expanded if it is not treated in time, and spread to the pharynx, tonsils, gums, etc. In severe cases, it can spread to the esophagus and bronchus, causing candidal esophagitis or pulmonary candidiasis, difficulty in breathing and swallowing, A few can be complicated by chronic mucosal skin candidiasis. It can even secondary to other bacterial infections, causing sepsis.

Thrush check

Generally, no other inspection is required. If your baby's thrush recurs, you can carefully scrape a little white spot and send it to the laboratory for testing. The test can determine the type of yeast so that the doctor can give the baby more accurate medicine.

Differential diagnosis of thrush

The disease should be distinguished from stagnant milk. Although the stagnant milk mass of the mouth is similar to thrush, it can be removed and removed by lightly wiping it with warm water or a cotton swab. The white dandruff of this disease is not easy to wipe off. If it is wiped off with force, the mucous membrane below it will be flushed and rough.

Thrush complications

Babies will refuse to feed due to pain, resulting in reduced food intake and slow weight gain.

If thrush spreads to the back of the mouth, it may swell the esophagus. Once implicated, the baby will feel uncomfortable when swallowing, and may even refuse to drink water because of pain, and dehydration may occur.

If left untreated, yeast can also affect other parts of the body. Of course, diffuse yeast infections are rare.

Thrush treatment

Wash with a weakly alkaline solution, such as 2% to 5% sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), rubbing ice boron oil (Chinese herbal medicine ice boron powder to make a paste-like honey), nystatin suspension, etc., have good effects. Strengthen nutrition, especially vitamin B ₂ and vitamin C.

Care should be taken in isolation and sterilization of the nursing room to prevent transmission.

Thrush prevention

1. Maternity should be actively treated when vaginal mycosis occurs and cut off the route of transmission.

2. Clean the tableware for infants and young children and steam for 10-15 minutes.

3. Breastfeeding mothers should use warm water to wash areola and nipples before breastfeeding; and should often bathe, change underwear, cut nails, and wash their hands before holding the child.

4. For infants and young children, bedding and toys should be disassembled, washed and aired regularly; baby's toiletries should be separated from parents as much as possible, and regularly disinfected.

5. Infant room should pay attention to isolation and disinfection of nursing to prevent transmission.

6. Young children should regularly carry out some outdoor activities to increase the body's resistance.

7. Toddlers who live collectively in kindergartens should not mix appliances.