My daughter = thrush and yeast infections, help! - Open to All Other Health Topics Message Board

Slaughter1 · 01-24-2002, 10:10 AM

Hello to all

I have a few questions. If anyone can give me some advise it would help a lot. My daughter is 8 months old and she has been getting thrush and yeast infections since she was four months old. We have taken her to the doctor numerous times and given her all the drugs the doc has prescribed. (nystatin oral and cream, difflucan and even some over the counter medications) This poor girl just keeps getting it over and over again. Is there anything I could be doing to prevent this. I have cleaned and sterilized everything possible. I feel so bad for her, it seems pretty painful. Help! We are sick of this fungus!!

perrinmom · 01-24-2002, 03:27 PM

My daughter also got frequent yeast infections and thrush, and my youngest son keeps getting yeast infections. I have a post in "Children's Health" about it. I've noticed my son keeps getting the infections whenever I use "cheap" diapers (store brand, Huggies are bad too). I try to stick with Luvs now, any diaper that's super absorbant. My daughter was getting thrush probably from putting her hands in her mouth after playing with her diaper. Maybe a change of diapers? Some other replies I got might also be helpful, white vinegar in the wash, or a white vinegar scrub. Hope this helps.

Jay Tor · 01-26-2002, 02:53 PM

Some more suggestions and two links:

1. Always change wet or soiled diapers immediately - ammonia in baby's urine burns the skin. This is especially painful if baby's skin is inflamed with a diaper rash.

2. Rinse clothing that comes in contact with baby's skin (this also means your own clothing) several times to remove all traces of soap, and avoid using fabric softeners. [liquid as well as dryer sheets]

3. Avoid any fragranced products near baby's skin - your own also if it regularly contacts baby's skin.

4. Let your baby go without diapers for a few hours every day until the skin has dried thoroughly. If you live in the south with air temp of 75F, a little bit of sun on baby's skin [10 minutes a day] may also help.

5. To protect baby's skin from liquids, apply a good quality skin cream or ointment. [Zincofax/Zincopax - sp? - gave us the best results.]

6. Avoid synthetics near baby's skin. Cotton is usually best as it does not absorb/retain water the way wool does and it allows baby's skin to breathe.

7. If you are breast feeding and taking birth control pills, you may be passing on the effects of this medication to your baby. Birth control pills increase the incidence of yeast infections.

8. Again, if you are breast feeding, try adding garlic to your diet. Garlic is an all-purpose wonder food: antiviral, anti-biotic and anti-fungal.

9. Avoid simple sugars in your [your baby's] diet. This means no fruit juices, esp. any with added sugar.

10. Possible food allergies - your baby's - anything that contains fungi. This includes almost all breads, beer, and cheese.

11. Wash, rinse and re-rinse with white vinegar EVERYTHING that your baby might come in contact.

12. If you are using any meds, presecription or over the counter, use them for the time prescribed/ recommended. Don't know if fungal spores are similar to bacteria, i.e. increased resistance - but don't take the chance.

13. If the infection gets progressively worse even with all of the above interventions, it's time to see the paediatrician.

Here are two links for some straight forward information. They're both Dr Koop sites - one is general candidiasis, the other is diaper rash.
[url="http://www.askdrkoop.com/conditions/ency/article/003220.htm"]http://www.askdrkoop.com/conditions/ency/article/003220.htm[/url]
[url="http://www.drkoop.com/InteractiveMedicine/ConsConditions/Candidiasiscc.html"]http://www.drkoop.com/InteractiveMedicine/ConsConditions/Candidiasiscc.html[/url]

Good luck,
Jay