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Thrush:

Something that is very seldom talked about, but that is very common in newborn babies, is thrush. Why this topic is not talked about very often is beyond me, but it is something to be aware of. This is a very common fungal infection in the mouth that is recognizable by the white, slightly raised bumps on the tongue, sometimes appearing as a white layer. While there are many reasons thrush may occur it usually happens simply because newborns just don’t have the immune system yet to prevent it. Although they will not always work, there are many things you can do to try to lower the chances of your baby developing it:

• Sterilize bottles—Be sure to sterilize all bottles and pacifiers after each use by either boiling them or running them through the dishwasher.

• Breast nipples—If you breastfeed, take special care to clean the area before and after each feeding.

• Clean baby's mouth—Doing this will probably upset them, but it is more from irritation than it is from pain, and that irritation is much better than the irritation that comes with thrush. Another way to do this without upsetting the baby is to give them a drink of water after each feeding. This can wash away any breast milk or formula.

Although thrush is rarely serious in infants, it can be painful, and this can be a problem because it can make sucking very difficult. Many times doctors do not treat thrush in infants, and it will usually go away on its own within two weeks. If, however, your baby has a particularly bad case of it (they won’t eat because it hurts too much, it is causing them to cry in pain, or they have had it for more than two weeks), you will want to call your doctor. He may have you come in so that he can see it himself, or he may tell you over the phone to go ahead and treat it. He also may call in a prescription, or tell you to use an over the counter medicine for it. Pharmacists can recommend many different kinds if your doctor doesn’t.

A medicine that very few will mention, though, is the best one on the market. It is called gentian violet (pronounced Jen-Chen Violet), and is available in most drug stores. You usually won’t find it by looking for it on the shelves, though. Instead, you will probably have to ask the pharmacist for it.

Aside from its existence, there is another little secret about this product. It stains everything. You will not even want to chance just putting a bib on them, because it will stain any little spot it touches. You might think you could just do it while they are in nothing but a diaper, but this won’t work either, as it stains skin as well. Put clothes on him that are already stained or that he is about to outgrow, because they will be permanently ruined. The best way to apply it is using a q-tip, that way you are dealing with a very small amount of it at a time. It might be a pain to have to go to these lengths to apply this medicine, but it works the best, it is really cheap, and you don't have to make a trip to the doctor to have access to it.

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