Why does thrush make baby fussy?

[Carolyn R]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but I didn't realize thrush could make a baby fussy. My dd is 12 wks, and we've had what I would call "low grade thrush" all along - tiny white patches in her mouth, slight burning in my breasts, and bright pink nipples. It wasn't overly painful, so I brushed it off as just an annoyance. Baby has been a pretty fussy baby, so imagine my shock when I read an article the other day that said thrush can cause fussiness. I felt silly that I hadn't addressed the problem sooner, but I am still confused as to how something that doesn't seem too bad can upset the baby.

Also, did anyone notice that your baby was calmer after you treated the thrush?

Thanks!

[DeerMother]

DS was fussy when he/we had thrush. Maybe it is because he didn't enjoy nursing. That is what I chalk it up to be anyway. He quit nursing, I had to pump and bottle feed him for a month before he went back to breast. Or maybe because a yeast infection in your mouth is gross and that would just make you cranky?

I had a friend who had oral thrush as an adult, she had a hard time eating, drinking, said it was the worse illness she has ever had. And it took a long time for hers to fully clear up also.

Hope yours goes away soon!

[Cory]

My father-in-law just had a yeast infection in his mouth and he said that food was nasty while he had it. Everything tasted the same and it was a pretty yucky taste (I think he said it tasted like something specific but I can't remember what). Maybe that's why baby's are fussy? I can't say for sure though.

[smanore]

Thrush can cause a baby to be gassy, which can make them fussy. It can occasionally cause a sore throat too. I hope your little one feels great soon.

[Melian]

The feeling of a warm liquid running over the irritated infected skin in the mouth causes pain/itch for the LO. That is the reason I heard for the fussiness of the LO whilst having thrush.

[JustBlaze]

My baby was definitely annoyed, gassy/cranky when she had thrush. Once it finally went away, she was very happy.

[Gremlichita]

Yeast grows throughout the digestive system so it makes sense that it could make a baby fussy. Also, really bad overgrowth of candida affects brain function and moods - at least in adults, I know candida brings mood swings and fatigue. (More reason to treat it NOW!!) I had really bad thrush with my son and I did the pH diet which cured it within 5 days. There is also the 80/10/10 diet which claims to cure candida (in my experience it works great, within 24 hours, as long as I stay on the diet). I tend to have candida a lot so I am constantly on a special diet.....but now I am looking into other ways. I am reading the Body Ecology Diet which is supposed to heal your inner ecology, so then you aren't prone to yeast anymore and you can get back to regular eating. HTH!