When your baby has a white tongue, it’s often a mild reaction to drinking milk. But sometimes white tongue is a sign of a disease. What to do ?
It is not uncommon for a baby to have a white tongue. There are three possible reasons:
► If the baby only has a white tongue, the symptom is isolated, it is only a milk deposit more or less thick on the tongue. In this case, there is nothing to do.
► “If you find a white deposit on the tongue but also on the lips of the baby, on the gums and inside the cheeks it can be a fungal infection that we call oral thrush. The child will suffer from burning sensations and will eat less well“explains Dr. Sylvie Dieu Osika, pediatrician.
► The white tongue can also be related to the gastric reflux (GERD) by milk deposit also.
When to consult in case of white tongue of the baby?
“As soon as the appearance of white deposits in places other than the tongue (cheeks, gums), it is best to consult” recommends the pediatrician.
“like the ears, you never clean a baby’s tongue“ warns Dr Dieu Osika.
What to do in case of white tongue in the baby?
If it’s only milk deposit, there’s nothing to do since it’s not pathological. If the baby has thrush, the doctor will prescribe an anti-mycotic treatment to get rid of fungus. It is recommended to wash everything that the baby puts in his mouth (dummy, toy, etc.). “We can also do baking soda mouth care to the baby after meals (bottle or breastfed) by dipping a cloth in a bottle to clean the mouth and relieve painful signs“ suggests our expert.
Thanks to Dr. Sylvie Dieu Osika, pediatrician and author of the book “The ABCs of baby’s first year” (Hatier).