What to do if my baby seems to have thrush on his tongue!

Question

Hello! My baby is 15 days old today, and for the past few days we have noticed that he has a whitish tongue. I feel like he has had this since shortly after giving birth. He is drinking formula (Good Start) and is healthy. We tried with a q tip to see if it would come off, and already it's not easy to reach his tongue because he cries, we think it doesn't really come off. What should we do? Is it serious? Please note that we sterilize all of his bottles before each feeding and that we also boil his powdered formula to destroy the bacteria until he is 4 months old. Thank you for your help!

Millie Yee · Accepted Answer

Good morning, Madam, Thrush is usually a manifestation often seen in newborns due to the immature immune system in early life and the signs are whitish patches on the tongue, gums and mouth. Generally, the only over-the-counter treatment at the pharmacy is Canesten 1% cream (Clotrimazole) to be applied to the tongue twice a day for 7-14 days. If there is no improvement in the tongue in 2-3 days or a worsening of the symptoms (fever, difficulty eating, trauma or swelling in the mouth), I suggest you go to a doctor to get a prescription for Nystatin for thrush. Transmission between mother and baby is possible when breastfeeding. So if you are breastfeeding your child in addition to giving the formula, it would be important to apply Canesten to the breasts as well. I hope I have answered your question, Millie Yee, Pharmacy Student Under the supervision of Alexandre Chagnon, pharmacist