Baby has white tongue: Milk or other cause?

What is the problem of newborns with white tongue and how to improve is the question of many parents. To improve, you need to find out exactly what is causing it.

Infant care is always a top priority. When the baby's tongue is white, many people will be worried. The following article, aFamilyToday Health will bring information around this situation as well as how to fix it.

A white tongue in a newborn can be caused by thrush

Thrush is a yeast infection caused by an overgrowth of the fungus Candida, the culprit of vaginal yeast infections and diaper rash. The infection will form on the parts of the mouth involved in the suction action, including the lips, tongue and inside the cheeks.

Sometimes, the mother's nipples contain bacteria, but you never know this, thereby giving them a chance to infect your baby when you breastfeed.

Symptoms of thrush

Not all babies with white tongue are caused by thrush. Therefore, try the following test: If you use a cloth, gently rub the baby's tongue and see a white wax coating, you can confirm that your baby is having a thrush. In addition, this wax also appears on many other areas inside the baby's oral cavity.

Thrush will increase the risk of your baby getting a more serious infection, causing pain or discomfort, thereby preventing the baby from breastfeeding , leading to weight loss.

Cause

Do you wonder why so many babies get thrush while adults rarely have it. In fact, the answer is simple: The baby's immune system is not yet strong enough to fight the infection, making it easier for yeast to grow.

But that's not the only cause, if your child takes an antibiotic to treat another infection like an ear infection then the drug can kill good bacteria and encourage the growth of fungus. yeast.

Treatment of babies with white tongue caused by thrush

Thrush that causes white tongue in babies is very common and easy to treat.

Your doctor will likely prescribe an antifungal medication that is intended to be applied directly to the white patches. In order for the medicine to work, you should keep it in your baby's mouth for as long as possible. Therefore, parents need to avoid feeding the baby after applying the drug for at least 30 minutes.

Babies with white tongue can be caused by leftover milk

In addition to the common reason above, the cause of a baby's tongue being white comes from the remaining milk on the child's oral cavity.

Distinguishing the two conditions is also quite difficult because they behave similarly. One of the easiest ways to tell the difference is to try wiping the dirt off with a cloth dipped in warm water. If the white streaks fade, the mother can confirm that the baby is partly missing milk in her mouth. In addition, a white tongue appears only after breastfeeding and white patches do not exist in any other area.

What causes this accumulation of milk? The answer is because the baby produces little saliva. In the first few months after birth, baby's saliva is not produced too much. Therefore, the baby's tongue will still hold a decent amount of milk and make this organ white.

Residual milk on the tongue also occurs if the baby has a hard tongue , a condition that causes restricted tongue movement. Baby tongue when unable to touch the palate and lack of friction will cause accumulation.

This situation does not need to be too worrying and will gradually improve as your baby starts to produce more saliva or as he or she gets used to solid foods.

How to clean mouth for babies

The following tips can help reduce the risk of babies with white tongue and other oral conditions:

Clean your baby's mouth after each feeding by dipping a soft, clean cloth in water and gently wiping your baby's mouth in circular motions.

Massage your baby's gums after each feed to ensure healthy gums.

If you bottle feed your baby, disinfect all parts of the bottle, including the nipples.

Keep your nipples clean.