Thrush, also known as xerostomia, can occur at any age, but is most common in infants and children up to 2 years of age. It is an inflammatory disease of the oral mucosa caused by Candida albicans. Candida albicans is widely distributed in nature, and it can be isolated from the mouth, skin, and vagina of normal people. It can be found in the oral cavity of newborn babies 2 days after birth due to contact with maternal secretions while passing through the birth canal. Candida is also often found on foods such as fruits and dairy products, and can be infected by contact with these foods. Inadequate sterilization of breastfeeding equipment, unclean nipples of the mother, and unclean hands of the child’s caregivers can cause thrush in newborns or small infants who lack resistance. Thrush is also commonly caused by malnutrition, diarrhea, long-term use of broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents, and hormone therapy, resulting in a dysbiosis of the body’s flora, which allows mold to enter and multiply, causing thrush. Neonatal thrush mostly occurs within 2 to 8 days after birth and is most likely to occur on the cheek, tongue, soft palate and lips. Thrush starts as snow-like, pinpoint-sized soft spots that soon fuse with each other to form white patches, like milk clots, that can cover the entire oral mucosa. When the infection is mild, the baby does not feel any obvious pain and it does not affect feeding and other food intake. In severe cases, the baby may become irritable, have a poor appetite, cry, and have difficulty breastfeeding due to the pain. Sometimes there is mild fever and the systemic reaction is usually mild; however, in a few cases, it may spread to the esophagus and bronchus, causing candidiasis esophagitis or pulmonary candidiasis. How can I tell if it is thrush or milk clot when I find white patches in my baby’s mouth? You can gently wipe it with a cotton swab. If it is a milk clot, it is easy to wipe off and the baby’s mucous membrane will be normal pink after wiping off. If it does not come off, then it is thrush. If you forcefully wipe it off, the red mucous membrane will be exposed and bleed. The white membranes quickly return soon afterwards. How to prevent thrush in babies? First of all, clean the dishes that babies and children eat and then boil them for 10-15 minutes to disinfect them. Nursing mothers should wash the areola with warm water before breastfeeding; and they should often bathe, change underwear, cut nails, and wash their hands every time they hold their children. Secondly, for infants and children’s bedding and toys should be regularly unwashed and dried; baby’s toiletries should be separated from parents’ as much as possible and disinfected regularly. Third, do not abuse antibiotics, always use them under the guidance of a doctor. In addition, young children should regularly engage in some outdoor activities to increase the body’s resistance. Once your baby has thrush there is no need to panic. Go to a regular hospital and use medication under the guidance of a doctor. Washing the baby’s mouth with 2% sodium bicarbonate solution and mycophenolate tablets (500,000 units per tablet dissolved in 10 ml of cold boiled water) is an effective treatment. Wash the child’s mouth with the solution every 2 to 3 hours. Parents should also pay attention to: 1, tableware disinfection: a use of a disinfection, boiling disinfection for at least 10 minutes, and keep dry. 2, quit bad oral habits: finger sucking, tongue spitting, biting unclean objects, etc. 3, pay attention to oral care: wipe the child’s mouth with warm water after eating, and apply medicine in time. 4.If breastfeeding, the mother should wash her hands before breastfeeding, apply medicine on the nipples, and disinfect the mother’s underwear. 5.Enhance the immunity of the child’s body. 6.Avoid long-term use of antibiotics and immunosuppressants. 7, because thrush is very easy to recur, therefore, after the white plaque disappears, you should also insist on using the medicine again for 1 to 2 weeks to prevent recurrence.