What are the symptoms of thrush?

Looks exactly like..: Looks exactly like a layer of milk on the baby's mouth and tongue, except it does not come off with gentle rubbing. And it does not count if it is only on the top of the tongue; a thrush-like white layer is normal there. On the edges of the tongue, inner cheeks, and inner lips, it isn't normal.

Usually nothing: In babies, there are usually no symptoms of thrush-- you see the white stuff in the mouth, but the babies feed and act well. Sometimes, though, some babies seem to find the oral thrush painful or irritated, so they might fuss or feed poorly.

White plaques: Thrush is caused by a fungus and is common in infants. It is recognized by white plaques on the tongue, cheeks and gums. Milk from nursing or formula can also cause a white coating on the tongue, but this can usually be rubbed off easily and does not cause plaques anywhere else in the mouth. If you think you're infant might have thrush, contact your pediatrician.

White patches: Thrush is a yeast infection inside the mouth and appears as white patches in the mouth or on the tongue. Other than the white "cheesy" looking patches thrush usually causes no other symptoms. Occasionally a sore mouth or tongue may cause the baby to have difficulty feeding and present as a poor appetite.

Difficulty feeding: Often when a baby has thrush he will not be as willing to feed or will stop several times during the feed. He may also just be extra fussy. Thrush will look like thick white paste stuck on the tongue, roof of the mouth, and/or the insides of the cheeks that you cannot scrape off easily.

Whitish mouth spots: Thrush shows up as whitish spots on the tongue, cheeks, gums, and/or palate. The spots are not easily wiped off with a towel, because the spots are actually an overgrowth of a yeast. Babies with mild thrush usually behave normally and eat normally.

White stuck patches: The patches of thrush will not come off if scraped with a tongue depressor (as opposed to milk). Thrush can be normal until one year of age, after which we ask questions to make sure the child is otherwise healthy. Thrush on the tongue only (not gums/cheeks) does not need treatment, but your doctor will probably check the diaper area, since some babies have a yeast infection there as well.

White spots: White spots on the cheeks and tongue that do not wipe off are often thrush.