Thrush-"Anti-Antibiotic" Family

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I have a family who chooses not to immunize and on the whole does their own thing on most things medical. Mom often reminds me not to immunize my kids b/c her son got autism from "those shots you know". I am not going to comment on her beliefs vs mine, just wanted you to know what her personal thoughts are on med/shots since it has come up in a similar way.

Her son (infant) has thrush. Was pretty fussy TH and F espeically about feeding but since the week previous was a week off (thanksgiving) I figured it was just the transistion back to care nonsense. Now I see the connection. Mom does not want to give her kid antibiotics at all. She thinks it will clear up on its own. Doc disagreed and suggested otherwise. Mom dropped off today stating that she has the RX but hasnt filled it yet. I read that thrush is not contagious so I took the kiddo. Should I have excluded? What if mom isnt going to do the antibiotics? Will the thrush clear on its own?

I thought thrush was caused by a weakend immune system or from just getting off antibitocs, so is this kids immune system weakened and should I be concerned about this and other things being brought into my home? Their other kids are always sick with something, older so they have more school exposure but really sick kids IMO compared to how often my own kids are sick and how often my family/friends have sick kids.

Are their other things I should be thinking about here? I mean I don't want them brining in strep or something since mom is very direct in stating that she DOES NOT want to do antibiotics for their family? I mean is there a nice way of saying that sometimes you can't always get what you want? I think mom will just lie and say she gave meds even when she didnt if I push her to stay home 24 hours post meds.

[Blackcat31]

Thrush is a yeast infection. It CAN be contagious but rarely.

Here is the fact sheet and the parent sheet about it:

http://www.hennepin.us/files/HennepinUS/HSPHD/Public%20Health%20Protection/Epidemiology/Daycare%20Manual/1700_s6YEAST.pdf

http://www.hennepin.us/files/HennepinUS/HSPHD/Public%20Health%20Protection/Epidemiology/Daycare%20Manual/1705_yeast%20parent.pdf

HTH

[itlw8]

so what is she doing to treat it? looks like all nipples and pacifiers need to be tossed after treatment.

If it is a fungal thing I bet yogert with the live culture would help but it has to be the live stuff not the sugared kind

[youretooloud]

It is contagious, but i've never met anyone who caught it from another person.

However, I always worry that a parent would lie to me. Tell me "it's just thrush" when it is something worse.

I had one mom who was anti meds.... WAY over the top anti meds. When her daughter got a serious bladder infection, her mom wanted to treat it with cranberry juice. But, the poor thing was so miserable...she fell asleep sitting on the toilet at one point, so I finally said "I can't handle this, she is always on the toilet, nobody else can use it when they need it. She's crying, she's freaking out about possibly wetting her pants, and has a fever"...so, I made mom keep her home "until it is completely cleared up". Mom wasn't happy about that because she was going to miss classes (she was in MEDICAL SCHOOL.. not kidding)

So, she had Grandma fly out here from San Francisco to stay with the daughter while they waited for it to clear up. Grandma *I can't even make this up* Took her for acupuncture treatments once a week until it finally got better... it took almost a month. BUT, then.... shockingly, the child developed severe back pain, and couldn't function at my house.... Mom was totally surprised to find out her four year old daughter had a life threatening kidney infection. They pulled her from care and had Grandma move in at that point because I wouldn't keep her during a life threatening kidney infection.

*ETA.. I have no problem with using natural treatments... I almost exclusively use natural treatments.. I haven't used an antibiotic for anything except dental surgery in years. I don't get shots, and I probably wouldn't give my child vaccines now (not as many as they require anyway)

[itlw8]

this might help

Oral & Nipple Thrush:
• Gentian Violet solution, 1% swab on nipples and inside babies mouth once daily for up to four days, you should feel an improvement by the 3rd day, if not stop. May be used up to seven days if needed but no longer. NOTE: this remedy will stain everything purple (just like iodine stains things red) so wear old clothes.
• Lactobacillus acidophilus and/or Lactobacillus bifidus supplements (look for them in the coolers, most need to be refrigerated to maintain potency). Infants and toddlers should be given bifidus rather than acidophilus, there are many bifidus supplements made just for kids. Lactobacillus is a "friendly" bacteria that keeps yeast growth in check.
• yogurt, homemade is best but acidophilus yogurt is a close second. Eat it, smear it on your nipples, freeze small cubes of yogurt & let baby mouth them, coat the inside of your baby's mouth with it after each feeding - dip a clean finger in the yogurt and let your babe **** it off or smear the yeast patches with yogurt on a cotton swab (do not double dip, you will contaminate the yogurt - throw it away after 1 application!). Take special care not to contaminate your yogurt with thrush!
• Garlic, garlic, garlic! Use fresh garlic in your cooking or take a garlic supplement (unsolicited product endorsement: Try Kwai brand, orderless - extra potent).
• Rinse nipples with an organic, raw apple cider vinegar solution made from 1 tablespoon vinegar in 8 oz of water. WARNING: may sting if thrush is severe.
• Dissolve a level teaspoon of baking soda in 8 oz of water. Use a fresh cotton swab to wipe the insides of your baby's cheeks, gums, and tongue after every nursing - bathe your nipples after every nursing too. Make a fresh solution every day. WARNING: some health care providers worry about the baby ingesting too much salt with this method - use your judgement.
• large quantities of vitamin C (1 gram every 2 hours for a week or longer if immune system is very weak) is said to discourage the growth of yeast.
• Caprylic acid, taken according to directions.
• Grapefruit seed extract is supposed to be good for stubborn cases.
• Black Walnut (tincture), painted in baby's mouth and on mom's nipples 2-3 times a day. In stubborn cases mom can also take the tincture internally, 10 to 15 drops 2-3 times a day. Be careful near clothing, it stains!
• Pau d'Arco tea 2-3 cups daily. Pau d'Arco is a South American tree that resists fungus growth.

Yeast Diaper Rash:

[shelby]

Bladder infections and yeast infections are not something to mess with... do parents not understand the seriousness of it all. I have a friend who just thought it was a bladder infection, had been on 3 rounds of antibiotics and was tired to the drs so quit going and then could not pee anymore... come to find out she had an kidney infection and a hereditary kidney disease that caused her kidney's to stop... all could have been avoided if she would have gone to the dr.. sooner...

The baby needs some kind of treatment...

[Unregistered]

Well I alredy feel lied to if that makes sense. Both days last week whenI brought up the fusiness, refusal to feed, excessive crying etc mom seemed distant/cold. Not typical. Today she says she was watching he thrush hoping it would resolve. So I was feeling bad, guilty for bringing up this kiddos behavior and now I know what was really going on. Grrr

[Willow]

If she's a natural remedy fanatic tell her about the gentian violet.

Thrush (characterized by white patches or even chunk looking attachments) in the mouth HURTS (read - this is not the same as a yeast infection affecting the genitals). It can definitely cause feeding issues that can result in some major dehydration.

I'd tell her she needs to have him treated, her choice either with something like the the GV or the prescribed antibiotics, before he's brought back to care. If she returns him and it's obvious the issue isn't cleared up call her up and send him back home.

[cheerfuldom]

I dont keep infants with thrush. it CAN be contagious and secondly, kids are so miserable with this, they need to be sent home for TLC. i dont care if a parent chooses to go the natural method but they still need to solve the issue in some way. i dont provide sick care, period.

[daycarediva]

I dont keep infants with thrush. it CAN be contagious and secondly, kids are so miserable with this, they need to be sent home for TLC. i dont care if a parent chooses to go the natural method but they still need to solve the issue in some way. i dont provide sick care, period.

This exactly. I have had good luck with my own infants with gentian violet (warning:STAINS!) and GOOD probiotic yogurt.

[Malmom]

You don't give antibiotics for thrush- that will just make it worse. When my dd was a newborn, we both ended up with thrush thanks to the antibiotics I was on due to an infection from my c-section.

The dr. should prescribe nystatin. And of course there are natural remedies to use as well- gentian violet is a good one. Acidophilus is another. And depending on the age of the child, yogurt is a good thing to feed them.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Gentian violet works great. Suggest it to mom.

[Unregistered]

I hate when people try to push their beliefs on others

.Mom often reminds me not to immunize my kids b/c her son got autism from "those shots you know".

I would have told her "I understand your concerns and beliefs. I also understand that you need to do what you think is right for your children but I need to do what I think is right for my family and that is between me, my husband, and our pediatrician" or just say that liscensing requires it if she gets really nosey and you are for vaccinations (if not n/m).
I would probably put this in my contract and policies under philosophies/politics or privacy policies.

I have also heard that there is no proof it really does because many types of autism don't show up until the age they need to get those shots

http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20411250_2,00.html

although I am not saying that I don't think they can cause some problems. I have heard that many cases of SIDS are between 2-5 months old around the time of vaccines

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Concerns/sids_faq.html

I am just saying it is not her place to give medical advice to other parents concerning their children (UNLESS she actually is a medical professional). If those are your beliefs too I am not saying that it is bad, just that she has no right to tell you what to do with your kids.

[jen2651]

My daughter had thrush...we gave her a little bit of tonic water here and there...that cleared it right up. We needed to make sure it had quinine in it tho. Obviously she wasn't very severe and was older (1.5). I am not sure where I found that as a home remedy, I just figured if it didn't work a trip to the dr. would be fine. But it did work!!