Tongue Thrush

white tongue?

i just took my baby to the doc cos her tongue has a thick white coating the doc said its not thrush,as it isnt located anywhere else and that its normal for babies to just get a white tongue sometimes this doesnt make sense to me? have any of you ever heard of this,and it was ''nothing'' my baby also lost 1 oz this week,she said that also happens,the baby wasnt even sick,she just lost an oz? i know losing weight is a sign of cancer and now im terrified and i dont even want to start googling or ill get even worse they did do blodwork""just as a precaution,she said"' poor baby is only 11 months being stuck with a vicious needle! has anyone ever known of a baby to lose weight and be ok? and please dont forget the white tongue thing?

Public Comments

1. She lost an ounce? And ounce is a teeny amount of weight for anyone to lose... I'm surprised they took blood for something like that, unless she's followed some sort of downward curve of weight loss. Lots of babies develop a white coating on their tongue, especially if they're formula fed. If it bothers you, you can wipe it with a wet washcloth after feeding.
2. this might sound kinda of sick, but back in the days when the white stuff was on our tounge when we were much younger in Jamaica ....they put our pea tounge and cleaned it off with a wash cloth and then gave us warm water to drink...did that fro two days...just a teaspoon..and it worked...it's up to you though...good luck!!
3. My son lost 2 oz this month because he has been sick. He is 7 months, but the doctor says that he will just come in for a checkup in about a month and gave me a prscription for drops. He wasnt too conceerned becuase of the fluctuating weather we have been having. He also had white spots on his tongue. That was from the infection. I freaked out, of course and went out and bought those little baby tooth brushes and now brush his tongue after every feeding:)! Its a soft little finger brush and he loves it. I have NEVER heard of losing weight as a sign of cancer in a baby. 1 oz isnt that bad as long as that is all that she lost. I would just get a second opinion (sounds like thrush....) and stop freakin out!!!:)
4. An ounce is not much to lose!! If your baby lost a pound then you should worry!! Babies can lose and ounce just by not eating right before the appointment. White tounge is something that they can get from the milk/ formula and yeah it is normal.
5. If your baby recently began crawling or walking it's likey they lost an oz because of recent excerise. As for the white tongue, sometime when a baby has a virus they'll get a white tongue with teeny red spots.
6. All I know is that a white coating on the tongue means 'dampness' according to Chinese Medicine Theory. Is he on dairy milk? Or if you breastfeed do you eat a lot of dairy yourself? Wheat causes damp too and so does pork and bananas. My daughter develops a white coating on her tongue if she eats too many dairy youghorts or bananas. I restrict her intake of them and the white tongue becomes pink again. Try cutting the dampening foods and replace dairy milk with goats milk or even soya milk, you have nothing to lose.
7. They did blood work on her because she lost a freaking ounce? What the duce? Thats so rediculous. WHy did you let them? Babies can loose and ounce from teething, growing, or any thing else, and ounce at 11 months isnt even worth considering. Thats just stupid, dont let them do things like that. Having a white tongue is normal in babies. Completely normal. milk tongue. If it were thrush it would be every where else on her mouth, her lips and her gums. And she would be sore and cranky. She sounds perfectly fine. Good grief.
8. white tongue? is that from formulas....if you are really worry you should check with a second opinion. and losing 1 oz since when? if it's a short period of time since the last check up, then it's probably ok....
9. Try brushing the baby's tongue with a 50% hydrogen peroxide (3% dilution or whatever they sell in most stores)/50% water solution. HOWEVER make sure it is PURE hydrogen peroxide, the kind that contain stabilizers can not be used orally. Pure hydrogen peroxide breaks down into pure water and oxygen it is absolutely not toxic. This will help if it is just some dental plaque. Loosing an oz isn't a huge deal for an 11 month old. If she drinks 6 oz of water she will gain 6oz until she pees. So if she had just had a big meal and a drink before the last weigh in and ate less before this weigh in it isn't impossible to be an oz less and still have gained weight. Also the average weight gain at 11 months 2-4 oz per week. Also they almost always run blood work between 9-12 months to check iron and lead levels at the very least.
10. Babies can fluctuate in weight just like we do. Mayber her belly was a little more full last time. Now if it was like a pound or something I would be worried. As far as the white tongue, it's probably just milk mouth : ) All babies get it.
12. First congratulations. I am assuming this is your first child. It is common for babies to lose a little weight. If your baby continues to lose weight and is also listless with prolonged vomiting, diarrhea or any other symptom then you need to see the doctor again. There are always instances where there is an infection or simply failure to thrive, but after 11 months I would rule FTT out. I wouldn't worry yourself right now though. Just keep an eye on your little one and make sure baby is latching onto you or the bottle and getting all the nutrients she needs. Another thought is that since the baby has a thrush like infection that this could be sore and irritating when she is feeding and could factor into the weight loss. If you do not have complete trust in your Pediatrician then find someone who makes you feel comfortable and restores your confidence.
13. You need to learn to trust your doctor or find a new one you can trust. At the rate you are going motherhood is going to turn you into a basket case. Look at your baby, does she look happy ? Does she look healthy ? Needles don't really hurt that bad just a stick and then you should gain some peace of mind from the results. Smile and enjoy this time in your life it goes by very quickly.
14. relax that happened to my baby too. i panicked, bought creams for the tounge, scraped it, consulted the doc, et al.... but in the end i knew it was milk tongue it will go once your baby starts eating human food lol!.... your baby lost an ounce and you think its cancer? i have never heard such sort...you worry too much. motherhood is fun and rewarding....not a burden. breastfeed your baby that's the best advice i can tell u.
15. The white coating is from the milk she drinks . It is ok as long as it doesn't get to thick. What you need to do is take a washclothe and put a little honey on it and rub her tonge at least twice a day to prevent thrush because that can be dangerous. It is normal for a baby to lose body weight as long as it is not a drastic lost. Oh the honey is going to the white off and soothe the baby while you do this.
16. With all five of my brothers and sisters, when they were babies, and tongues were white, my mom would give them 6oz of water in a cup or bottle. This always removed it. She may be a tad dehydrated. Hope this helps!
17. Is there white elsewhere in her mouth? Does it wipe off easily, or does it stick and leave a reddened patch if you do rub it off? Does she have a diaper rash, too (it doesn't have to look white)? A thick white coating on the tongue that doesn't wipe off is usually thrush. She doesn't have to have any other signs of thrush, it can appear in a localized area like this. She may be eating less because her mouth is sore. Are you breastfeeding? If you are, it's important that both of you are treated for thrush, even if you have no symptoms. How long has it been since her weight was checked? A one-time, small weight loss isn't considered a concern. It would be best to just re-weigh her in a couple of weeks. Her weight may be lower because of a different scale, because she had just peed/pooped, because she was wearing different clothing . . . it doesn't necessarily mean she "lost" weight.