Thrush is a common fungal infection of the mouth. The mouth, gums, tongue, soft palate, cheeks, and lips are involved. Thrush often affects newborns and infants, but it may also affect older children and adults.

Patches appear in the child's mouth with the following characteristics:

· Patches are white to creamy yellow and slightly raised. They are similar to milk curds, but they don't wipe off.

· Patches are not painful to the child unless they are rubbed off. Then they can leave small, painful ulcers.

· The child's mouth is dry.

The more serious Candida albicans may develop under the following circumstances:

· If the infant is treated with antibiotics. This may upset the natural balance of organisms in the child's mouth and allow thrush to develop.

· Birth. Newborns may acquire the infection during passage through the birth canal--especially if the mother has a vaginal yeast infection. Thrush appears within hours or up to 7 days after birth.

If a child has thrush urge the child to drink buttermilk or eat yogurt during treatment to replenish helpful bacteria in the digestive tract.

To avoid transmitting thrush to others, boil the child's eating utensils or use disposable items. Boil anything that touches the child's mouth or saliva.

The child should rinse the mouth with a salt solution (1/2 teaspoon salt to 8 ounces water) 3 times a day or more after eating.

If an infant has the infection, boil bottle nipples separately for 20 minutes before the final sterilization.

Seek medical care if:

· There are signs of dehydration (sunken eyes, poor elasticity of the skin, and lethargy)

· An infant fails to gain weight, or an unexplained weight loss occurs in an older child.

· Fever develops.

· Lesions on the child's skin or vagina appear.

· Signs of secondary bacterial infection (pain, redness, tenderness, swelling, sometimes fever) appear in the child's mouth.