Candida albicans is a fungus that occurs naturally in your child's body, but under certain conditions it can multiply and lead to health problems. Although most of these cases aren't serious, they can cause your child discomfort and pain. Fortunately, there are treatments available that can get the infection under control.
Identification
When candida multiplies rapidly, it can cause a condition called thrush in your child's mouth and throat. Thrush is characterized by white patches that don't scrape off easily. It can also lead to an infection in the diaper area, displaying bright red lesions with well-defined, raised edges and pus-filled sores. Infections in the diaper area are often accompanied by additional lesions away from the diaper on the stomach or thighs, and even a boy's scrotum may be affected. Although vaginal yeast infections are often thought of as a woman's disease, they can also affect female children. Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis is a rarer form of persistent candidiasis, usually caused by candida on the skin, nails and mucous membranes that can occur if your child has a metabolic disorder.
Causes
Ordinarily, candida yeast lives in harmony on your child's skin and in mucous membranes, unless certain factors cause their numbers to explode. Risk factors include restrictive clothing; poor hygiene; infrequent diaper or undergarment changes; antibiotics; inflammatory skin diseases like psoriasis; or a suppressed immune system. In newborns, the condition is often caused by low birth weight, prolonged intravascular catheterization and the use of antibiotic drugs.
Significance
Thrush infections occur in 2 to 5 percent of babies and are more common in premature babies. A study by Michael Gracey et. al. published in 1974 in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," also noted that in children suffering from poor nutrition, as seen in poorer communities, candida can multiple to unhealthy levels in the gastrointestinal tract, contributing to chronic diarrhea.
Prevention/Solution
To prevent diaper candida infections, keep your child's diaper area clean and dry, and allow the child's bottom to be exposed to air daily for approximately 15 minutes, spread throughout the day. Treatment depends on the site, the extent of the infection and your child's age, overall health, and medical history. Thrush is typically treated with topical or oral anti-fungal medications. If you're nursing a baby with thrush, you may also need to put a topical drug on your breasts. Infections in the diaper area are usually treated with an anti-fungal diaper cream.
Warning
Sometimes babies with thrush will have no symptoms, whereas others have pain and fussiness and may refuse to feed. More serious infections can occur with candida, including meningitis and sepsis, although this usually only happens if your child has a compromised immune system from a disease such as HIV or cancer, or after an organ transplant.
