Your Care Instructions

Thrush is a yeast infection inside the mouth. It can look like milk, formula, or cottage cheese but is hard to remove. If you scrape the thrush away, the skin underneath may bleed. Your child might get thrush after using antibiotics. Often there is not a specific cause. It sometimes occurs at the same time as a diaper rash.

Thrush in infants and young children isn't a serious problem. It usually goes away on its own. Some children may need antifungal medicine.

How can you care for your child at home?

• Clean bottle nipples and pacifiers regularly in boiling water.
• If you are breastfeeding, use an antifungal medicine, such as nystatin (Nyaderm), on your nipples. Dry your nipples after breastfeeding.
• If your child is eating solid foods, you can massage plain, unflavoured yogurt around the inside of your child's mouth. Check the label to make sure that the yogurt contains live cultures. Yogurt may help healthy bacteria grow in the mouth. These bacteria can stop yeast growth.
• Be safe with medicines. Have your child take medicines exactly as prescribed. Call your doctor or nurse advice line if you think your child is having a problem with any medicines.
• It's important to get rid of any sources of infection, or thrush will come back. Items your child may put in their mouth should be boiled or washed in warm, soapy water.