There is disagreement on the "white tongue" issue, but I come down on the
side of "it is yeast overgrowth."  Milk doesn't stain.  If one drinks milk,
her tongue isn't white 3+ hours later.

The white-tongue yeast symptom is not always problematic.  Some babies have
a white tongue for a long time without undue side effects, but if there is
excessive gas, fussiness, irritable at breast, sore nipples on mom, etc...
then the white tongue is one more symptom confirming a yeast overgrowth.

My clients with yeast problems (and they are legion this summer) say that
their babies' tongues weren't white before the yeast symptoms began.  And,
like your client, with oral treatment the tongue regains its *normal*
pinkness from front to back, with the throat being the last to clear.

I have had 2 mothers in the last 2 months battling yeast who called with
sore throats themselves, thinking that they had a virus.  I asked them to
look at their tongues and they were white coated.  They were drinking no
milk and had never had a white tongue before.  Their throats remained sore
until a few days into their Diflucan, and their tongues returned to pink
from the front to the back. Their mouths were uncomfortable for quite a while.

Babies' mouths do hurt when they have oral thrush, even if it is "just a
white tongue." And they feel as irritable and frustrated as their mothers
do when they have an overgrowth of yeast on nipples and in breast.

I have found it challenging to work with these miserable women.  They are
argumentative, forgetful, aggressive, and I guess we'd call them "fussy."
Life stinks! I need to remind myself that it is the all-over physical
irritability that is at work here, and I exercise extreme patience.  Last
week I was really struggling with a mom trying to get her to comply with
the treatment plan and to use the meds in an effective way.  She was so
angry at me with every phone call.  Then when she got the appropriate
dosage of antifungal meds and began to really treat the condition
seriously, she became quite pleasant and appreciative, a total change in
personality.

A white tongue is not a normal tongue for an infant and milk doesn't stay
on a tongue for hours. Some babies will not display other symptoms of
discomfort, but it is a "red flag." If they are not feeding well it may be
due to a sore throat.  And I agree with Vickie that I would begin treatment
for thrush when a white tongue appears. I would try GV first, and with a
beginning case it would probably resolve it quickly.  By the time the
full-blown symptoms are in place we are in for the long haul.

Patricia Gima, IBCLC, who is eager to get to Boca, where there is NO
yeast,(please!)
Milwaukee
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