General information
Candidiasis in children is a common disease among children. Normally, small amounts of fungi are part of the opportunistic microflora and are constantly present in the body. If the child’s immunity is strong, microorganisms are safe for health. In weakened children, the fungus begins to multiply uncontrollably, affecting the mucous membranes, skin, and genitals. If candidiasis is left untreated, serious health problems can follow. The main task of parents in the fight against the disease is to establish good nutrition and strengthen the child’s immunity.
Classification and stages of development of molluscum contagiosum
Molluscum contagiosum in children can affect one anatomical area (localized form), several or the entire body (generalized form). Most often, skin rashes occur on the face, eyelids, torso, and limbs. The exceptions are the palms, soles and scalp; skin lesions are not affected by the mollusc on them.
In addition to the classic form of molluscum contagiosum, atypical forms are found in children. They are more difficult to diagnose, since in appearance the rashes resemble another disease:
- Pedicular molluscs are similar to papilloma; the formation hangs on a thin stalk.
- Giant papules reach 2–3 cm in size; their accumulations can disfigure the face and body.
- Keratinating ones look like warts, covered with horny scales. They are most often located on the back of the hands, between the fingers.
- On the face, papules with white contents resemble acne.
- The cystic form of molluscum in a child is characterized by the formation of a cavity in the middle of the papule.
- Ulcerative form - with it there are skin defects that form in place of nodules and papules.
Symptoms of candidiasis
Most often, candidiasis occurs in newborns and preschool children.
The older the child, the less often the disease is diagnosed. The favorite place for thrush to appear is the oral mucosa. A cheesy coating appears on the gums, palate, and inside the cheeks, and the baby feels pain and itching when eating. Along with these symptoms, candidiasis in children is also characterized by other signs:
- redness of the mucous membrane;
- ulcers that open after removing the cheesy plaque;
- loss of appetite;
- general weakness;
- white coating on the tongue.
The child does not eat well and is often capricious, since any touch to the mucous membrane causes pain.
In advanced cases, bleeding wounds open at the site of the removed plaque. There is another common form of candidiasis - fungal tonsillitis. It develops as a result of improper treatment of protracted sore throat. Characteristic symptoms of the disease are a cheesy coating on the tonsils and a burning sensation in the throat.
When the skin is infected with fungi, dense spots, redness, and blisters appear on it. In adolescents, thrush often affects the mucous membrane of the genital organs, and the disease is more typical for girls. Vaginal discharge becomes white and thick. In boys, the head of the genital organ turns red, and a discharge similar to sour cream appears in the area of the urethra. Cystitis and urethritis may develop.
If fungi infect the digestive tract, the child begins to suffer from colic, and food is difficult to digest. The baby suffers from constipation and pain in the lower abdomen. If fungi colonize the respiratory organs, the child often suffers from bronchitis, pneumonia, and ARVI. If internal organs are damaged, treatment should begin immediately, in consultation with a pediatrician.
Pathogenesis
Molluscum on the skin of a child is caused in 75–96% by the first type of MCV-1 virus. The causative agent of the disease penetrates the cells of the epidermis. From the viral DNA molecule, the cell begins to synthesize a pathological protein, which soon overflows the cell’s cytoplasm. The cell stretches and takes on a spherical shape; it is called a molluscan body. Increased proliferation and degeneration of cells of the spinous layer of the skin occurs.
At the site where the virus entered, a flesh-colored nodule appears, with unchanged skin around it. The formation grows, takes the shape of a hemisphere or ball, and in classical cases, a depression in the form of a “navel” appears at the top. The papule is filled with whitish contents and resembles a “pearl” due to the accumulation of mollusc bodies. If you press on the element, white crumbling masses appear in the center, similar to “cottage cheese”. These masses contain a lot of viral material, so they can cause the virus and rash to spread over the surface of the skin, infecting other people.
Causes of candidiasis
The main cause of candidiasis in children is a yeast fungus of the genus Candida, present in the human microflora. But to activate it and increase the number of microorganisms, a number of factors are required:
- weakened immune system;
- frequent viral and colds;
- thyroid diseases;
- diabetes;
- hypovitaminosis;
- taking hormonal drugs or antibiotics for a long time;
- chronic diseases;
- HIV infection;
- intestinal dysbiosis.
The disease often occurs in premature infants and weakened children. If the mother's birth canal has been affected by candida, the baby, passing through it, becomes infected. The risk of developing candidiasis in such a newborn is much higher.
Factors that increase the likelihood of developing candidiasis in children
- prematurity
- long-term use of antibacterial drugs
- intestinal infections
- diabetes
- violation of the child's feeding schedule
- allergies
- dysbacteriosis
- acute infectious diseases
- enterocolitis (inflammatory bowel disease)
- multiple caries
- poor oral hygiene
- mucosal injury
- excessive carbohydrate intake
Children can become infected during childbirth from the mother, also through hands, nipples and other objects. Children's immune system is immature, the mucous membranes are thinner - all this can contribute to the development of candidiasis.
Diagnosis of candidiasis
A pediatrician usually has no problems diagnosing thrush on the oral mucosa.
This is a common disease with characteristic symptoms, so an experienced specialist can easily identify it. In particularly difficult cases, when diagnosing a sore throat, sputum analysis may be required to identify the pathogen. The situation is more complicated with the diagnosis of candidiasis on the genital mucosa. In this case, you will have to take a smear for microflora, which will show the presence of inflammation and help identify the causative pathogen.
Thrush on internal organs is even more difficult to detect: external symptoms may be absent. Blood, urine, and stool tests may be required to detect mycosis.
Advantages of treatment at the Podology Clinic
By contacting us, you can be sure that you will be provided with high-level medical services. After all, we have:
- Affordable prices. The price list shows prices for all types of services provided. The final cost calculation is made after making a diagnosis, selecting the necessary types of tests and providing care to the patient.
- Experienced specialists. You get an appointment with certified specialists who can make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe effective treatment.
- Appropriate conditions for diagnosis and treatment. Analyzes are carried out in specially equipped laboratories. Modern rooms are equipped for the comfort of patients.
- Individual approach. All methods of providing care to the patient are selected taking into account the individual characteristics of the body, previous diseases, and the presence of chronic pathologies.
- Confidentiality. We do not disclose information about our patients. All procedures are carried out in compliance with medical ethics.
Treatment of candidiasis
The goal of treatment for candidiasis in children is to eliminate symptoms and prevent further proliferation of fungi in order to reduce their number. General recommendations for strengthening the baby’s body are as follows:
- reduce the consumption of sweet, salty and flour foods, which create a favorable environment for the growth of candida;
- take vitamin complexes, including folic and ascorbic acids, probiotics to normalize microflora;
- give the child drugs to strengthen the immune system;
- For newborns on artificial nutrition, switch to medicinal mixtures containing probiotics and vitamins.
If candidiasis has affected the oral cavity, treatment of the mucous membrane with antifungal agents is prescribed:
- a solution of baking soda, fucorcin or brilliant green;
- Miramistin (antiseptic);
- Clotrimazole (antifungal ointment);
- Nizoral, Pimafucin (antimycotic medications);
- spray for sore throat, stomatitis.
It is recommended to lubricate nails infected with fungus with iodine, antifungal ointments Clotrimazole, Decamine, Mikoseptin and varnishes. If the vagina is affected in girls, antifungal suppositories are recommended. You should not select medications yourself. It is better to consult a doctor and get examined. Self-medication can only worsen the baby’s condition. If thrush, despite the measures taken, does not go away, you may need to consult an immunologist, because This condition is usually associated with weak immunity.
How to confirm the diagnosis?
If you notice any changes in the nails or skin on your toes, consult a dermatologist, mycologist or podiatrist. It is unacceptable to independently diagnose children with nail fungus by looking at photos from the Internet, much less prescribe treatment, because we are talking about children’s health.
The fungus can develop against the background of other serious diseases. For example, metabolic disorders, diabetes mellitus, immunodeficiency, vitamin deficiency. If symptoms appear, take your baby to the doctor to check his health.
To confirm a fungal infection, the doctor will take a scraping from the affected nail plate and send it for mycological examination.
Prevention of candidiasis
To avoid thrush, follow the disease prevention measures:
- Mothers in labor are advised to sanitize the birth canal before giving birth. To do this, the woman takes a smear, based on the results of which the doctor determines the need for treatment. If candidiasis is diagnosed, vaginal suppositories with antiseptics are prescribed. This measure will prevent the baby from becoming infected with fungi.
- Follow the rules of hygiene in the maternity hospital.
- Breastfeed your baby only unless there are medical indications for bottle feeding. In the latter case, you need to choose the right mixture together with your pediatrician.
- Limit the consumption of sweets and sugar in children over one year of age. Try to keep your diet varied, healthy and nutritious.
- If the baby is weakened, strengthen the immune system with hardening procedures, proper nutrition, physical exercise, etc.
Candidiasis is an unpleasant but treatable disease. Timely consultation with a pediatrician, the correct course of therapy and compliance with preventive measures will allow you to forget about thrush for a long time. SM-Doctor specialists are always ready to help your child in the fight against candidiasis.
Principles of therapy
Antifungal drugs
Getting rid of thrush in a baby is quite simple, naturally – with timely and high-quality treatment.
Despite their possible pathogenicity, Candida fungi have little resistance to basic therapy methods and die almost completely within a relatively short period of time. All this helps to improve the child’s condition, the absence of complications and direct recovery from pathology.
Treatment of infants for candidiasis is primitive, but it should be organized together with a professional pediatrician. The general principles of therapy largely depend on the age of the sick child.
How does infection occur?
The causative agents of the disease are easily transmitted from one person to another. The infected person leaves behind fungal spores along with dead skin particles, which are stored at home for a long time.
In seven to eight cases out of ten, the fungus is transmitted to the child from one of the household members.
A newborn can become infected in utero, an infant through a shared bed. A grown-up one-year-old baby catches the infection by licking objects. Yeast fungus enters the baby's mouth through shared utensils or if the mother licks the pacifier and gives it to the baby.
A baby can become infected with ringworm by touching a sick animal.
City birds, such as pigeons, also spread infections.
At 2 years old, the baby begins to attend preschool educational institutions. In kindergarten, if hygiene standards are not observed, the infection quickly spreads between children.
Schoolchildren acquire the infection by trying on the shoes of a sick person. Fungal spores can remain in winter shoes for a long time; as soon as the immune system malfunctions, infection occurs.
With bruises and cuts, minor injuries increase the risk of infection.
Infection with aspergillosis can occur through inhalation of dust containing fungal mycellosis. You can get sick from it when visiting untreated premises: old baths, bathrooms.
Traditional methods
Wine vinegar has long been the main remedy used against fungal infections.
- The traditional method of treatment is as follows: socks soaked in it are put on the baby at night and taken off in the morning.
- Herbs have an antifungal effect: calamus, celandine, burdock root. Chamomile decoction will relieve itching and inflammation. Apply onion and garlic juice to fungal-affected surfaces.
- An inexpensive way to cure the disease is salt and soda baths. Soda can also be used this way: mix with water to a paste and apply to the nail.
- It has long been customary to lubricate the affected areas with iodine; tea tree oil has a strong antifungal effect.
Advice. Sweets and foods rich in carbohydrates promote the growth of fungal colonies. Traditional healers recommend adding vegetable salads with fresh herbs to your food. Beet and carrot juice are good for fungal diseases.
