Very often, a newly minted mother is worried when she notices a white coating on a newborn child’s tongue, a young and inexperienced mother does not know why the baby’s tongue has become white and what should she do.
Why does a newborn have a white tongue
The most common reason for the appearance of plaque is very commonplace - the child feeds exclusively on mother's milk, and it is known to be white, hence the whitish tongue of the baby.
However, this plaque may not always be harmless - it may be a symptom of a disease such as thrush. In order to accurately determine if the baby has thrush, it is necessary to conduct a simple check of the child’s mouth - if the plaque appears only in the tongue, then it is most likely just a milk path, if the gums and the inner surface of the cheeks are covered with white spots, and when the plaque is removed under it If an inflamed area is detected, then this is a thrush.
You can also pay attention to the behavior of the child - if the baby eats and sleeps perfectly, does not show changes in behavior, then, most likely, nothing bothers him. If the baby cries, throws his chest, he has a poor appetite, this indicates the appearance of a fungus in the mouth.
White plaque on tongue - thrush?
Thrush (scientific name is candidiasis) is a type of fungus that appears on the mucous membrane due to poor hygiene, so cleanliness should be the first rule of mom.
The reasons for the appearance of candidiasis are always associated with the ingestion of non-sterile objects in the child's mouth. First rule – for the prevention of candidiasis, it is necessary to monitor the sterility of the nipples, toys, dishes and, of course, the mother’s breast.
The second rule is to give the baby a drink of water after feeding. So you can cleanse the mouth of the remnants of milk and reduce the risk of reproduction of microbes. By the way, this method is perfectly applied not only for newborns, but also for older children who still do not know how to brush their teeth. But if you still saw the symptoms of the disease, you need to know how to remove the plaque that worries both the mother and the child.
How to remove white plaque from the tongue
The first and most ancient remedy is soda.
A teaspoon of baking soda is diluted in a glass of water, a piece of gauze is wrapped around the finger, a finger is dipped in a glass, and a white coating on the tongue of the newborn is gently rubbed with this finger.
Do not overdo it - you just need to gently wipe, and not remove the plaque. Using this tool, you can quickly make the thrush retreat. By the way, you can also wipe the breast with a soda solution before feeding, then the risk of contracting thrush will decrease to zero.
The second folk remedy is honey.
Mix a teaspoon of honey and two tablespoons of water and wipe the baby’s mouth with the resulting solution. If he does not want to endure an unpleasant procedure, just dip the nipple in the solution and let the baby suck it.
Medical preparations
Simple and inexpensive means, such as a solution of borax in glycerin or Candide solution, available at any pharmacy, have proven themselves perfectly.
However, remember that such products, unlike harmless soda, only your pediatrician can prescribe.
You shouldn’t start thrush, since subsequently it can begin to seriously bother the baby - it will become restless, may drop the breast, stop sucking the nipple, so as soon as you notice that your newborn has a white tongue, start treatment.
Read in detail about thrush in the mouth of a newborn (about the causes and treatment).
When my daughter had a white coating on the tongue, we asked the pediatrician what it was, the pediatrician said that we had it from breast milk, but it’s worth watching. My mother told me that during my childhood I was only treated for thrush, and with folk remedies and medications! The article is good, informative, I think young mothers will help! Thank you!
Thanks to the creators of this article. She is very informative and useful, my child also had such a problem. They were observed at the pediatrician, but he could not advise anything worthwhile. When I found this article, I took advantage of your advice. To my surprise, it all went away!
This article is useful for young parents. We got rid of thrush in our child by one of the methods described in this article - water and honey. You just have to do everything in a timely manner and not start the disease. However, the child will tell everything by his behavior, he will not tolerate.
Soda always helped us to remove the white coating in the baby’s tongue. But honey tried it somehow, but it gave an allergy and I don’t practice it anymore. And I was convinced that when I gave water to drink more often, the less white plaque appeared.
Many children under one year of age have an allergy to honey, if you try it in the morning, during the day it will be clear whether or not there is an allergy.
Dear Parents !!! In no case give babies honey !!! In no way! 70% of honey on earth is contaminated with spores of butulism !!! This is a fatal infection for children under 7 years old !!! Administrators, check the information
Before giving advice regarding children to young and inexperienced parents !!!
Of course, it’s easier for you not to miss my comment than to correct the article !! You do not care about the life and health of young children !!! You are strange people, it's sad (((
Drinking water is not recommended for children solely on Guards. Not a good way.