Does Your Baby Have a Yeast Infection? Baby Yeast Infection FAQ's

What to Do With a Baby Yeast Infection

As if you didn't have enough to think about already. Baby has become very grizzly, has white spots in his mouth or has a persistent rash on his bum that almost looks like pimples in appearance. Sorry, but these are common symptoms of a baby yeast infection.

What are the causes of a baby yeast infection?

Four ways;

1) During the birthing process; If Mom has a yeast infection in her urinary tract then there is a good chance that baby will pick it up as it is going through the birth canal.

2) While feeding from Mom;
During the breastfeeding process it is very easy for Mom to pass a yeast infection onto baby and for a baby with a yeast infection to pass it back to Mom.

3) Cleanliness;
Modern diapers are so good that it is easy to leave them on for longer than you ought to while you finish up several other jobs - we've all done it! But by keeping them on longer we are actually creating the perfect environment for the Candida fungi to breed.
A couple of other basic hygiene tips - for girls make sure that you wipe her bottom from front to back - where possible of course! When bathing make sure that you pay close attention to the bottom and genitalia of both boys and girls.

4) Prescribed Medication;
There are loads of children who have to take antibiotics, some from the time that they are born. Unfortunately these are a 'necessary evil' and will only be prescribed if absolutely essential. They do come with their own set of minor side effects, one of which is that baby may become more susceptible to a baby yeast infection. If your baby does need to go on antibiotics then ask your health care provider about a specialist infant probiotic.

Moms are also often on antibiotics after giving birth which makes then super susceptible to a Candida outbreak so it pays to take precautions before it happens. you may even want to include your baby in your efforts!

Just because a baby has a rash on their bottom it does not necessarily mean that they have a baby yeast infection. But if the rash doesn’t respond to treatment - by that I mean that it is not visibly better by the next diaper change - and persists or gets worse then there is a good chance that it is Candida. The rash can even go over the pubic area and up onto the lower tummy.
If you have any concerns about your baby's rash not clearing or if they get white spots in their mouth do not hesitate to seek medical advice.

What will happen then?

Your doctor should be able to tell straight away if the baby yeast infection symptoms are caused by Candida or by something else. To be on the safe side he may take a small scraping of the skin and send it to the lab to confirm. Don’t worry, this is really painless and easy, your baby will not even feel it! He will then prescribe an anti-fungal medication for your bub.

Natural Remedies
There are many home remedies for the relief of baby yeast infection symptoms, from the use of tea tree oil (very diluted - 1 drop to 2 litres of water), to colloidal silver, to cinnamon oil, yoghurt or cider vinegar.

Aloe gel or a cool damp chamomile tea bag pressed to the area may also relieve the symptoms.

Have regular 'bare bum time' for your baby, not only will she love it, but it will help her bottom stay dry and aired.

Please ensure that any Candida infection that your baby end up with is treated quickly and thoroughly. A little persistence here may save you a load of grief in the future.

For more information and a great selection of natural Candida Cures head on over to www.thebestcandidacures.com