Home Remedies For Oral Thrush In Infants & Kids

Your little one is so small and vulnerable that any discomfort to your baby can be very worry some to you. Finding a white patch in your baby's mouth can be terrifying especially if you do not know what to expect. The white patch in your baby's mouth can be anything from milk residue to oral thrush. But you need to be sure before you can decide on the way to best deal and resolve the issue. Read on and you will learn how to differentiate a case of Oral thrush from the other cases. We shall also tell you some home remedies that can help prevent. Cure and deal with the oral thrush.

What is oral thrush?

Oral thrush is a harmless white path that arises as the result of certain fungi. It is very common in people of all ages but young children up to the age of 2 are more susceptible the occurrence of the oral thrash. Even though it is harmless, it can be painful to the baby and hard to remove. If your baby is suffering from oral thrush, you will see patches of yellow or creamy white in your baby's mouth. It typically appears on the cheeks, tongue, lips, the roof of the mouth and the gums. It can also spread to the throat, esophagus and the tonsils.

What causes oral thrush?

Yeast or the fungus that causes oral thrush is a part of the normal functioning of your baby's digestive system. If there is an imbalance of any kind in the baby's system, it may cause thrush.

• If your baby is on an antibiotic treatment, she may have oral thrush as there is an imbalance in the bacterial population in the mouth.
• The baby first comes in contact with the yeast as she passes through the vaginal canals of the mother. If the baby has low immunity, she may develop thrush.
• If the mother develops thrush it can be passed on to the breast fed baby. This infection can be passed to and forth from the baby to the mother unless both of them are given appropriate treatment.

Symptoms of oral thrush

If the white patch is seen only on your baby's tongue, then it is probably only milk residue. To be sure, try to gently rub the patch off using a clean dinger or cloth. Milk residue tends to rub off easily unlike oral thrush. Another indicator is the appearance of the white patch in areas other than the tongue. Your baby will also find it painful to nurse or use a pacifier and cries when she tries to do so. Bring these patches to the notice of your child's doctor as soon as possible.

Home remedies for oral thrush in babies

Though the importance of an appropriate medical intervention cannot be sidelined, there are some home remedies that can work just as well. You may try these to ease your baby's pain while the medical treatment is ongoing too. Read on to find a list of things you can do to remedy the oral thrush in babies and kids.

Baking soda

Baking soda is an agent that effectively kills the yeast that causes oral thrush in babies. It also helps in maintaining a neutral pH levels in the mouth. To use it, make a mild solution of baking soda with water. use a cotton ball or a clean finger to apply a little of this solution on the affected area.

Raw Garlic

Raw Garlic has a very strong anti-fungal and anti-bacterial property. Take a clove of garlic and grate it well. Use a clean finger to apply the juice from the grated garlic on the area with white patches.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an immunity booster and helps in putting a stop to oral thrush. The mother can ingest some Vitamin C tablets to make sure that the baby receives it through the breast milk. Alternatively, you may rub some orange juice with a clean finger or a cotton ball on the area.

Cranberry

Cranberry and cranberry juice is a renowned remedy for thrush in both adults and in babies. Crush some fresh cranberries and make some juice out of it. Feed some teaspoons of it to your baby. Alternatively, you may feed your baby some market brought sugar free cranberry juice.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a strong anti-fungal agent. To make some cinnamon tea, boil a cup of water with an inch piece of cinnamon stick. When boiled, let it cool down completely. Strain the liquid and feed your baby a few drops of it at a time.

Pro-biotic foods

Probiotics are foods that contain bacteria that are good for you. These help in re-populating the intestines and the mouth with helpful bacteria. Curd and yogurt are good examples of pro-biotic foods. Give a spoonful of it to your baby to get rid of the oral thrush.

Clove oil

Clove oil is a good anti-fungal. You may apply some using a clean finger to the affected area for relief from oral thrush.

Tea tree oil

Tea tree oil has properties similar to that of the clove oil. Apply a drop of the tea tree oil to the affected area to remove the oral thrush.

Lavender oil

Lavender oil is a good anti-fungal. It also soothes the area affected with oral thrush. To relive the baby of the pain of oral thrush, apply a drop of the lavender oil on the area.

Myrrh oil

Myrrh oil is good for the overall health of the oral cavity. Apply a drop of myrrh oil in the mouth of your child for relief from oral thrush.

Oregano oil

Oregano works by killing the yeast that causes the oral thrush. Use a clean finger to apply a drop of the oregano oil to the area.

Coconut oil

Coconut oil has been proven scientifically to have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Use a few drops of coconut oil to rub on the white patches of the oral thrush.

Washing breast pumps and pacifiers

Often unclean breast pumps and pacifiers harbor harmful bacteria and fungus. These if ingested, can lead to oral thrush. Sterilize the breast pumps and pacifiers before using it.

Aloe vera

Aloe vera is a medicinal herb that is anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. It is used to treat many conditions which includes oral thrush. Cut off a piece of aloe vera leaf. Cut it open to reveal the gel in it. Use a clean finger to rub this gel on the affected part of the mouth.

Neem leaves

Neem is an age old anti-bacterial and anti-fungal substance that has been used by generations. Make a paste of few leaves of Neem using a little water. apply the paste to the affected area. Alternatively, you could boil some water with a bunch of neem leaves. Feed a tea spoon of this water to your baby few times in a day.

Turmeric and milk paste

Turmeric is a good anti-septic, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent. Mix a little turmeric in a little warm milk to make a paste. Use a finger to apply it to the affected area.

Apple cider and honey

Apple cider is a substance that can kill the fungi and also neutralize the mouth at the same time. mix a little honey and apple cider to make a paste. Rub this into the area affected by the oral thrush. This remedy should not be used on babies younger than 1 year.

Lemon juice and lemon grass oil

Lemon juice and lemon grass oil both have a very strong anti-fungal property. They are used in patients suffering from AIDS in treating oral thrush. The acidity makes it impossible for the fungus to grow in the oral cavity. Mix a few drops of lemon grass oil in a spoon full of lemon juice use a clean finger to apply it inside the mouth.

Warm milk and castor oil

Castor oil destroys any existing fungal activity and also helps in preventing the reoccurrence of oral thrush. It can be little irritating to the stomach. So, administer the castor oil to the child by mixing a few drops in warm milk.

Flax seeds

Flax seeds work by killing the yeast in the mouth and making the mouth unsuitable for the fungus. Boil some flax seeds in a little water. let it cool down completely and feed the baby a couple of teaspoons at a time.

Warm water

Warm water on itself is great in removing the yeast in the mouth. It also hydrates the baby. Boil some water and let it cool down until it is comfortably warm to feed the baby. Feed the baby a couple of spoons of warm water throughout the day.

Cleaning and drying the nipples after every feed

If your baby is suffering from oral thrush, chances are that your nipple is also infected with the yeast. To avoid any infection on your nipples and to prevent re-infecting your baby, it is important that you clean your nipples and dry them well after every time you feed the baby.

Black walnut

Black walnut is a good anti-fungal agent. It also helps in soothing the mucosa of the oral cavity. Boil some black walnuts in some water. feed your baby this liquid a couple of times a day.

Olive leaf

Research shows that the yeast that causes oral thrush is extremely sensitive to the olive leaf extract. The extracts of the olive leaf can help cure and prevent oral thrush. If you can find some olive leaves, boil them in a little water. let it cool down. Now rub this liquid on the affected area for a quick remedy for oral thrush.

Watermelon rind

The rind of the watermelon is something that we all throw away without a thought. But you must know that the rind of the watermelon has anti-fungal properties. Its cool flesh will also help in soothing the baby's mouth. Take a small piece of the watermelon rind and hold it firmly. Rub it gently on the affected area.

Green tea

It is well known that green tea has healing properties. The anti-oxidants in it help in killing the fungus that cause oral thrush in the mouth. Brew some green tea and let it cool down. Feed the baby a few spoons of this through the day.

Buttermilk

Buttermilk has beneficial bacteria in it which helps in destroying the oral thrush causing fungus. Feed your baby a spoon full of butter milk twice daily.

Boric acid

Older children can be given a mouthwash that has boric acid in it. boric acid destroys fungus and helps maintain the pH of the oral cavity. Mix a teaspoon full of boric acid in a glass of water. use it to wash your child's mouth. Make sure that it is not swallowed as it can cause an upset stomach.

Gentian violet

Gentian violet is used typically as a stain in laboratories. But it has properties that kill fungus. Use a clean cotton ball to apply a little gentian violet on the affected area for relief.

Grapefruit

Grapefruit is acidic in nature so it helps kill the fungus that causes oral thrush. Feed the baby a few spoons of grapefruit juice. Alternatively, you can also use some grapefruit seed oil to rub on the white patches for relief.