white tongue?

Question

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?

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

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.

Answer 3

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.

Answer 4

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!!!:)

Answer 5

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.

Answer 6

Mine is white too I've had mine for a week my piercer told me I had to use non alcoholic mouthwash after Everytime I eat and smoke and I'm trying to recover from anorexia so I have to snack a lot thru out the day which mean rinsing my mouth a lot I also brush my teeth tongue and piercing twice a day like I was told so I'm just trying to not worry cause I'm doing everything they said

Answer 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.

Answer 8

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.

Answer 9

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.

Answer 10

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.