In addition to all the other things that may make your baby fussy, there's trush. Thrush (Candida albicans) is a condition that often affects infants and nursing moms. It's caused by an overgrowth of yeast in the baby's mouth that results in the tell-tale white patches on the inside of the mouth, on the tongue and lips. Baby may also have a persistent diaper rash.
Thrush in babies who are less than 6 months old can be passed back and forth between nursing mom and infant. Moms with thrush usually have sore, inflamed nipples that may be puffy, dry, and flaky.
Thrush may look unpleasant, but the good news is that it isn't dangerous and can be cleared up naturally.
From the outside
- Sterilize all pacifiers and nipples by boiling them in hot water.
- Destroy yeast by swabbing the inside of the baby's mouth with grapefruit seed extract, raw apple cider vinegar, gentian violet, or a borax solution. The same can be used on mom's irritated nipples.
- Lansinoh Cream can soothe sore nipples. Be sure to choose a natural brand and apply between feeding.
From the inside
- Probiotics – Give your child high quality probiotics. For babies, I like this probiotic. Add to your baby's bottle or sprinkle on your nipple before a feeding. Mom should also take probiotics internally to insure the proper balance of digestive flora.
- Diet – While all babies are born with under-developed digestive systems, thrush may indicate a weakness of mom's digestive system too, so be sure to address mom's diet to get to the root of the issue. For babies eating solid food, these same recommendations apply.
- Cut out sugar – Yeast infections thrive on sugars and refined flour. Artificial sweeteners and fruit juices should be avoided as well.
- Avoid dairy products – It's best to resume eating these products two weeks after all thrush symptoms have completely cleared up.
- Drink plenty of water and herbal teas to keep the body hydrated and speed recovery.
What natural remedies for thrush in babies have you tried? What worked best for you?
My 10 month old daughter developed thrush a few weeks ago, with the persistent diaper rash. At first I tried curing it with acv but she’d cry at every application so I switched to violet. Her mouth seems to be better, the diaper rash not so much. A few days ago her voice got hoarse and now she has a fever. Can the thrush be causing the fever? Should I be concerned? Thanks
Hi Maria, thanks for the question. I would recommend seeing a holistic minded practitioner asap. It sounds like she needs some immune support. All the best!
Is there a specific type of probiotic that is recommended for treating thrush specifically or does it not matter– for mom and baby?
How would I use ACV to treat baby, do i just swab the inside of her mouth with pure ACV? Or do I dilute it with water? If so what ratio?
Hi Sarah, you should use it raw and yes, you can use a swab.
So glad I found your blog! I’m always looking to learn more about holistic methods and I just had my baby about a week ago so anything regarding him I want to be holistic! He’s been fussy and I’ve noticed a white coating in his mouth the past couple of days so I thought it might be thrush 🙁 I’ve cut out dairy and will be trying some of these other methods of treatment as well!
Thanks again!