Infants and babies are particularly susceptible to thrush and yeast infections. Their fragile skin combined with the humidity of the diapers they wear make and ideal environment for candida albicans to thrive in.

Infant Yeast Infection

Baby thrush appears most often in the form of skin ailments. It can sometimes be difficult to tell the difference between infant yeast infection or diaper rash. While the latter can occupy any place on the body, the diaper rash is generally confined to the area in contact with the diaper. That does not eliminate infant yeast infection as the diaper area is often affected.

The second most common for of infant yeast infection is oral thrush in the infant's mouth. This can make feeding and breastfeeding more difficult, and while not a serious condition, should warrant a quick checkup with your doctor.

There are also instances of vaginal yeast infection in children.

What does thrush look like on infants? It is quite similar to the appearance of thrush on adults but with a much higher prevalence of widespread skin rashes, which are rarely seen in adults and older children.

Candida and Pregnancy

Although it is not uncommon to see bad yeast and bacterial infection during pregnancy, many have been led to believe that yeast infections are a sign or symptom of pregnancy. They are one of the many possible "side effects" but one cannot be used to diagnose the other.

Early pregnancy yeast infection is quite common and it is very important to enroll a doctor to find the appropriate yeast infection cures while pregnant. Any medication consumed at this time needs to be reviewed by your physician to insure they are safe for pregnancy.

Breast feeding a baby that has thrush should not be a big issue, as long as the area is properly cleaned to avoid retransmitting the yeast upon next feeding.

One of the important concerns is passing on thrush breast feeding premature infants. Since candida exists normally on the skin of almost all adult human beings, it can quite easily be passed on to the premature infant who is even more sensitive to thrush than regular weight babies and could suffer more serious consequences from the condition.

Causes of Infant Yeast Infection

Baby thrush and candida in kids is directly related to their more fragile immune system. In the case of infants, the highly humid environment caused by diaper wear as well as the thin skin makes them even more vulnerable.

Vaginal yeast infections in girls is most often caused by inadequate hygiene practices. This does not mean the child is not clean, only that they may inadvertently cause contact with dirty hands or apply soap too far in the canal while washing.

Baby Thrush Treatment Much like yeast infection treatment during pregnancy, treating yeast infections in children should not be attempted without the input of a qualified physician. One of the home remedies is acidophilus for infant thrush although it is important that the child be deemed ready to eat dairy products.

Oral baby thrush and other conditions sometimes require the use of suspension based difflucan or fluconazole as prescribed by a physician.

Generally speaking, candida yeast is not a threat to health except in premature infants where hospitals take appropriate care in isolating the baby and preparing the mother for breast feeding.