I made a connection about three years ago between complaints of
"gassiness/fussiness" in the baby and possible yeast/thrush.  Now, when
I get a call about "My baby is fussy, very gassy, etc.  What foods
should I not eat?" My first response is a "thrush investigation".  Did
the mom have a C/S?  Did either mom or baby receive antibiotic therapy
sometime since delivery?  Has the (totally breastfed) baby had a diaper
rash?  Does baby latch on, suckle, pull off, cry, relatch, (repeat),
etc.?  Are mom's nipples pink/red/pale/shiney/tender/tingle/burn etc.?
And, possibly, are there white caseous plagues in baby's mouth?

There have been a couple of cases where GASSINESS/DISCOMFORT was the
only complaint.   Since the nystatin solution/cream treatment is benign,
I suggest that, if at least one presdisposing factor or symptom of
thrush has presented, the mom talk to the care providers about one round
of treatment.  If symptoms lessen or disapper, then we can assume yeast.
If not, them we look at diet.

I had the opportunity to ask Kay "Thrush" Hoover :) about this before
ILCA and she had not really made this connection (setting off MAJOR
doubt of my LC abilities in my mind) but then said that it could be a
possibility and agreed to attempt to look at this angle in the future
(thus bringing a little hope that while I might be wrong...I might not
be totally imcompetent.)

Going back to one case, one poor baby, diagnosed with reflux, had under
gone an upper GI series. The situation had been going on for a couple or
more months when I talked with the mom.  Pull-off behavior was common,
diaper rash had occured, and weight gain was initially good, but had
slowed more than normal.  Mom had had a C/S.  Treatment for yeast solved
the problem, and mom was thrilled.  Mom did not know about thrush, and
it seems her pediatrician might not have considered the GI discomfort as
coming from that source.

However, I have one question.  IF gassiness is a result of yeast in the
GI tract, how can topical, not systemic, treatment be effective?  Yet,
it seem to be in at least some cases.

Dr. Hale, I attended your very fine lecture in New Orleans and heard
your opinion of nystatin solution.  Am I off here?  Can it work in cases
like this and lead to disappearance of symptoms in the "gassy" baby?

I would love to hear from any LCs who have seen this connection of
thrush/gassy baby, even without the "white patches" and sometimes other
symptoms of yeast.

You may e-mail me privately.  Thanks, all.