Any external changes of the baby greatly frighten his parents, especially when it comes to very tiny children. White plaque in the child’s tongue can be a physiological or pathological manifestation. If there is a pink layer on the organ that can be easily removed with a regular toothbrush, then there is nothing to worry about. However, you need to check that after the procedure in the language of the child there are no inflammatory foci, redness or swelling.
It is also worth paying attention to other norms.
What should be the language of the child?
If we are talking about standard physiological processes, then a white coating on the tongue in a child 2-3 years old can occur only after sleep. Such secretions are easily removed during morning hygiene measures. In all other cases, a change in the surface of the mucosa suggests that changes occur in the child's body that require diagnosis and treatment. To find out the causes of white plaque in the tongue in children, it is best to consult a specialist.
If we talk about the norms, then in a healthy baby this organ will have a standard pale pink color. However, even in this situation, there is a risk that the child suffers from any ailments. Therefore, it is also important to periodically check the mobility of the language and its size.
When is white plaque not dangerous?
Do not panic right away. If the child is one year old, a white coating on the tongue can be noticed if he is still fed with breast or artificial milk, which is the main diet of the baby.
There is also no reason to worry if the education is very thin. This is due to physiological processes. When the baby is sleeping, he does not swallow, so a light thin layer may well appear on his tongue.
However, self-diagnosis is very dangerous.
White plaque in the tongue of a child 2-3 years old - probable causes
At the age of 1 year, the appearance of a whitish layer is quite natural. Therefore, it is enough to start paying more attention to the baby's hygiene. During this period, many bacteria accumulate in his oral cavity, and the immune system has not yet begun to work normally. Therefore, when the child is a month old, a white coating on the tongue is not dangerous, but more attention should be paid to caring for the child.
If the child is older than a year, then the causes of this symptom may be:
- Incorrect toothbrushing. Children are all pulled into their mouths, so a lot of bacteria also accumulate in their oral cavity at an older age. If parents only brush their baby’s teeth, then this is wrong. In no case should you forget about the language, since it is usually concentrated most of all harmful microorganisms.
- Food colorings. If the baby eats a lot of sweets and other products, then particles of synthetic additives may remain in his tongue.
These are the most common causes of white plaque in the tongue in children. However, if the whitish or yellowish layer does not disappear after brushing, then there is a likelihood of developing more serious pathologies.
Candidiasis
In common people, this disease is called thrush. The disease is a fungus that is localized on the mucous membrane of the oral cavity. As a rule, the disease appears in infants.
If a white coating on the tongue of a child under 1 year old, then this may indicate a weakening of immunity. Also, thrush can develop while taking antibacterial drugs. Therefore, if the baby has recently been treated, this can cause candidiasis.
Also, the ailment may appear due to the fact that the child constantly pulls everything in his mouth. As a result of this, local microflora are disturbed. In addition, thrush can be caused by inflammatory processes in the mouth, gastrointestinal diseases and poor baby hygiene.
A child may become infected with candidiasis while breastfeeding, when using not the cleanest nipples, bottles and other utensils. It must be remembered that the baby should have its own containers, which are used exclusively for its feeding.
In this case, a white coating on the tongue of the child can also cover the walls of the cheeks, lips and palate. At an advanced stage, curdled clots may begin to form in the oral cavity, after removing which the mucous membrane begins to bleed a little.
If such manifestations occur, consult a doctor. As a rule, getting rid of such an ailment is not difficult. Sometimes it is enough to restore the alkaline environment in the oral cavity. To do this, you can prepare a solution of ordinary baking soda (1 spoon per 250 ml of boiled water).
Cold
If acute respiratory infections occur, a white coating on the tongue of the child may appear. In this case, we are talking about both viral and bacterial ailments.
In this case, a white coating will be localized at the root of the baby’s tongue, but also the lesions can spread to the entire oral cavity, depending on the severity of the common cold. If the layer is very thick, then this indicates that the disease is at a peak stage.
If the child has a white coating on the tongue and temperature, then there is no doubt that this is a respiratory disease. As soon as the doctor prescribes treatment and the baby gets better, his oral cavity will become cleaner and cleaner. This will indicate the correct course of treatment.
If the imposition of the root of the tongue will only be aggravated, then in this case the doctor must make additional diagnostic and measures and adjust the previously selected therapeutic methods.
Diphtheria
This ailment is a very dangerous infectious disease. In this case, a whitish film appears on the tonsils of the baby. It can spread to other parts of the oral cavity. Therefore, if there is a white coating on the tongue, the child is 2 years old or more, then this may indicate such a dangerous ailment.
It is recommended to vaccinate babies in a timely manner from this disease. If the vaccine has not been given, then you should immediately contact a specialist and introduce anti-diphtheria serum. If parents applied for treatment in a timely manner, then after a while the oral cavity will completely clear of unpleasant plaque.
Digestive problems
In this case, we are talking about inflammatory processes. Gastroesophageal reflux can be attributed to one of them. In this case, a white coating on the tongue of the child appears due to the fact that the acidic medium is released back into the esophagus from the stomach. Therefore, it is necessary to undergo a thorough examination by a gastroenterologist.
In order to get rid of the pathology, you will have to undergo a rather serious treatment, which includes taking a large group of drugs. Their action is aimed at eliminating the inflammatory processes that occur on the mucous membranes of the esophagus.
Also, a specialist can prescribe medications that will help the digestion of food in different parts of the digestive tract.
A similar ailment is manifested in older children. The same applies to gastritis, as well as gastroduodenitis. These ailments often provoke the appearance of white plaque, which is considered the main clinical symptom of pathologies. However, in order to accurately establish the appearance of this disease, it is necessary to undergo a diagnostic examination. After this, the specialist will prescribe a course of therapy that will help get rid of the pathology itself and from plaque in the tongue.
It is also worth noting that these ailments are often accompanied by bad breath, which should alert parents.
Intestinal dysbiosis
As a rule, in most cases of microflora disturbances, an unpleasant plaque appears in the oral cavity of children and adults. Also, in the smallest, symptoms can manifest as:
- periodic and rather severe pain in the abdominal cavity;
- intestinal colic;
- loose stools (green or foamy);
- skin rashes.
In this case, it is necessary to pass feces for analysis. If the diagnosis is confirmed, then the baby is prescribed medications that will help restore the microflora of the digestive tract. In more serious cases, specialists may prescribe a course of antibiotics. They are necessary in order to get rid of pathogenic microorganisms.
Exudative-catarrhal diathesis
In simple terms, allergic rashes. A similar ailment is found in babies who are prone to allergies. In this case, the mucous membrane of the patient’s mouth more closely resembles a geographical map, on which white islands will be visible.
In this case, the child will suffer from additional symptoms in the form of skin rashes, sneezing, copious discharge from the nose (sometimes from the eyes), cough, the appearance of seborrheic crusts on the head.
In such a situation, it is necessary to get rid of the underlying ailment. To do this, you need to visit a doctor who will prescribe a course of antiallergic drugs. After a while, the mucous membrane will clear and the baby will look healthier.
Dehydration
In this case, we are not talking about an independent disease, but still it is worth paying attention to this unpleasant manifestation. This can happen both with an adult and with a baby.
Dehydration and, as a result, the appearance of white plaque is due to a strong loss of fluid in the body. This can happen against the background of the appearance of intestinal infection, when the patient has loose stools and vomiting. The same thing can happen due to prolonged fevers or inflammatory diseases.
It should be borne in mind that a fragile children's body is more at risk of dehydration. In this case, a plaque in the language signals an extremely dangerous condition. In some situations, the baby may need hospitalization. Subsequent treatment will include the introduction of antibiotics and special solutions to restore the lost fluid.
Stomatitis
With a similar disease, in addition to a whitened tongue, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, edema and hyperemia will be observed.
Stomatitis can be catarrhal, aphthous and ulcerative. All envy on how severe the stage of the disease. In some cases, lesions in the mouth can manifest as ulcers, necrosis. In this case, the general condition of the child will gradually worsen.
Even babies can get stomatitis. Infection occurs due to dirty bottles, nipples and nipples of a nursing woman.
Infectious mononucleosis
This infection enters the human body through the nose or mouth. After that, it spreads through the blood and lymph vessels. In this case, a white coating on the tongue is also observed, the lymph nodes increase. A child may have a sore throat.
Against the background of infectious mononucleosis, a high body temperature can rise, the baby will suffer from headaches. Sometimes vomiting occurs.
Functional constipation
These pathologies can provoke intoxication of the body. However, in this case, the tongue will most likely not be white, but a yellowish or greenish hue. According to statistics, babies who feed on artificial mixtures are more likely to suffer from this ailment. However, this can also happen when eating natural milk. In addition, when preparing the wrong mixture, there is also a risk of provoking constipation in the baby.
If the mother is breastfeeding the baby, her baby’s stool will depend on what she eats. With the frequent use of laxative products, frequent bowel movements are provoked.
In what situations is it necessary to consult a doctor?
If the color of the tongue changes from white to yellow or green, and at the same time, the thickness of the plaque is constantly increasing, then in this case it is dangerous to engage in self-diagnosis or treatment.
Only a qualified doctor can exclude all possible ailments. If the baby's tongue is yellow, then this may be a symptom of a disease of the gallbladder or liver. Also, similar illnesses include inflammatory processes in the large or small intestine, infections, and poisoning.
After examination and obtaining the results of the tests, the specialist will be able to accurately determine the cause of the pathology and prescribe the necessary treatment.
If there is a white coating in the language of a child 3 years old or older, then there is a likelihood of serious pathologies that require immediate medical attention.