Oral thrush a common infection in children

Judy Fortin, CNN

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By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Mar 27, 2008 at 2:28 PM EDT

Story Updated: Mar 27, 2008 at 2:28 PM EDT

(CNN) — A fussy baby may be crying about more than hunger and a dirty diaper — he may be in pain because of a mouth infection called thrush.

“It's really quite obvious,” explained pediatrician Claire McCarthy. “You see these thick white patches, almost curd-like, on the tongue, on the inside of the mouth, on the gums inside.”

Thrush is a fungal infection caused by an imbalance of normal bacteria in the body. It may be triggered by illness or medication such as antibiotics or steroids used to treat asthma.

McCarthy sees a couple of cases each week, mostly in breast-fed infants.

“It's very contagious and this a very common thing that will happen that the mother and baby just keep giving it back to each other,” McCarthy said.

To get rid of the infection, McCarthy recommends sterilizing anything that's been in a baby's mouth, including pacifiers and bottle nipples.

She says thrush will sometimes clear up on its own, but she often prescribes an anti-fungal medication.

“It's common, it's treatable, it goes away and I think that families shouldn't worry too much about it,” McCarthy said.

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