Yeast Symptoms
Your children, even infants, can get a yeast infection that may go undetected if you do not know how to recognize it. We know that children get yeast infections in the same ways as adults. However children may not show the same symptoms or know how to communicate these symptoms to you:
Frequent vaginal or anal rash may be dismissed as normal by first-time parents who have no prior experience with diaper rash or yeast infections.
Ordinary skin rashes can be confused with heat rash or poison ivy when they break out on the arms, legs, or belly.
White film on the lips or tongue can be dismissed as baby formula or milk when it is observed after the baby has been breast or bottle fed. This confusion may be compounded if the white film seems to clear up after the baby is given water or apple juice to drink. Both of these fluids can fight off some of the infection but are not powerful enough to kill oral thrush infections completely.
Skin rashes that grow worse on rainy days can indicate a yeast infection. But busy parents are not usually this focused in daily observation of their children’s complaints.
Recurring ear problems are so common these days that even pediatricians may assure parents that this is normal and can be treated with ear drops.
Craving sweets all the time is not that unusual in a culture where children visit fast food restaurants several times a week with their busy parents and even on week-ends as Grandma’s Treat.
Headaches are difficult for parents to discern if their child has never experienced them before or if crying is the only way the baby can express discomfort of any kind.
Hyperactive children are appearing in epidemic proportions these days and narcotic drugs are prescribed to calm them down even when the activity may stem from physical causes such as yeast infections
Often irritable children are easily dismissed as “moody” by parents who have never witnessed the affect yeast infections can have on children
Nasal congestion, coughs or wheezing are almost routinely treated with OTC allergy medications. Many of these medications contain elements that can upset a child’s metabolism and open the door to yeast fungi.
The frequent use of asthma medications or antibiotics for ear infections leads to a yeast overgrowth in the intestines of these children. The yeast overgrowth upsets the balance of the child’s immune system and a vicious cycle of yeast symptoms develops. However, some children are more susceptible to Candida yeast overgrowth and infections. Their medical records indicate a history with baby thrush, diaper rash and cradle cap. Frequently they continue to yeast infection issues as they grow older.
Diet is another factor contributing to yeast symptoms in children. Even when parents try to give their children the right foods, there are outside forces that work against them. Candy is almost a staple for kids who attend social events or are taken to movies and amusement centers by well-meaning grandparents. Then there are the daily enticements from the Ice Cream Man or the annual candy sale at Little League or Cub Scouts. When given free range, few children will choose corn, broccoli or peas over French fries and a cheeseburger, or water instead of cola. . . It is tough to deny them these treats. Our culture reinforces a desire for them through TV commercials and the sense that all the other kids are eating that way too. Still parents have to remember that a high-sugar diet can weaken a child’s immune system and open the door to a life-long problem with yeast infections.