1 Background The alarm clock was set to go off at 6 00 am

Last updated: 1/12/2024

1 Background The alarm clock was set to go off at 6 00 am Staring at it Harold saw it change from 5 58 to 5 59 am He reached over and turned it off gently shook Naomi awake then grabbed the video monitor to check on Amica He was relieved to see his daughter was still asleep Amica had passed a rough night waking up on multiple occasions Two weeks earlier Naomi had noticed small irregular white patches inside of Amica s mouth She had become increasingly irritable only breastfeeding or taking the bottle for short periods Naomi experienced discomfort while nursing Amica so she purchased some over the counter ointment Five days ago the patches in Amica s mouth returned and both Naomi and Amica were more irritable Amica kept on spitting out the pacifier that Harold gave her At his wits end Harold searched the Internet for answers after he returned Amica to her crib for the fifth time that night He came across pictures of similar looking patches in the mouths of babies Could it be thrush It had been two weeks it was definitely time to bring Amica to the pediatrician Dr Kelly Warner examined a fussy Amica Her vitals were normal her temperature was 36 9 C 98 4 F pulse 120 bpm beats per minute and blood pressure 75 55 However Dr Warner noticed a reddish rash in Amica s diaper area Harold told her they were treating it with zinc ointment and that it had shown improvement Harold also mentioned the increased discomfort that Naomi had experienced during breastfeeding recently You are right this is thrush said Dr Warner Everybody has microbes in their mouth including the organism that causes thrush In healthy people the growth of the yeast Candida albicans that causes thrush is kept in check by other microbes living in the mouth Also continued Dr Warner milk is such a rich source of organic compounds such as carbohydrates and proteins the very nutrients that the yeast uses to grow So why did the microbes in Amica s mouth not prevent this overgrowth asked Harold Is she sick No she is not sick Infants just have an underdeveloped microbiome in their mouth It takes time for the balance to be established If Naomi experiences discomfort during breastfeeding she probably has the yeast on her skin and it gets passed back and forth between Naomi and Amica Both should be treated at the same time Naomi has been using ointments said Harold I know said Dr Warner She should stop for now Most of the time thrush disappears on its own but since you say it s been going on for two weeks now I will prescribe something and give you instructions for both Naomi and Amica so they can both get better wash your hands And what about the diaper rash asked Harold The diaper rash is caused by the same microbe Make sure to keep the diaper area as dry as possible a thoroughly before and after diaper changes You may use a wet wash cloth to wipe Amica s tongue gently after feeding to remove excess milk replied the Dr Warner 1 point Could the patches in Amica s mouth and Noami s discomfort be related Edit View Insert Format Tools Table R T 11 AV ev T PA G 24 B Y To 8 3 x