Is thrush contagious to babies?

Thrush is a fungal infection, so it is easy for babies at home to be infected. It is highly contagious. In addition to strengthening accidental prevention in daily life, if a child gets thrush, he must be treated in time. This is not a serious disease, so good treatment can generally achieve very good results. After treatment, it is necessary to prevent recurrence and maintain good oral hygiene habits.

Oral Thrush Symptoms

Oral thrush can occur at any age, but is most common in infants under 2 years old. The main symptoms of thrush are:

1. A milky white, slightly raised patch appears on the oral mucosa with no surrounding inflammation. It is shaped like a milk lump and is painless. After wiping off the patch, a non-bleeding red wound can be seen underneath. The patch varies in size and may appear on the tongue, cheeks, palate, or inner lip mucosa.

2. It often occurs on the mucous membranes of the cheeks, tongue, soft palate and lips. The white patches are not easy to wipe off with a cotton swab or wet gauze.

3. When the infection is mild, it is difficult to detect unless the oral cavity is carefully examined. There is no obvious pain or the patient only feels painful when eating. In severe cases, the baby will become irritable and restless due to the pain, cry with poor appetite, have difficulty breastfeeding, and sometimes have a mild fever.

4. If the damaged mucosa is not treated in time, it may continue to expand and spread to the pharynx, tonsils, gums, etc. In more serious cases, the lesions may spread to the esophagus and bronchi, causing candidal esophagitis or pulmonary candidiasis, resulting in breathing and swallowing difficulties. A few may develop chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, which may affect lifelong immune function. It may even lead to other bacterial infections and cause sepsis.

prevention

1. When a mother has vaginal mycotic disease, she should actively seek treatment to cut off the route of transmission.

2. Wash the tableware used by infants and young children for eating and then steam it for 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Breastfeeding mothers should clean the areola and nipples with warm water before breastfeeding; they should also take a bath, change underwear, cut their nails frequently, and wash their hands every time they hold their baby.

4. Infants’ bedding and toys should be regularly washed and dried; the baby’s toiletries should be kept separate from the parents’ as much as possible and disinfected regularly.

5. Attention should be paid to isolation and disinfection of breastfeeding rooms to prevent transmission.

6. Young children should regularly engage in outdoor activities to increase their body's resistance.

7. Children who live in a group in kindergarten should not mix their utensils.