Updated 6/11/2021
Written by Dr. Shalaka Samant, PhD and Dan Jackowiak Nc, HHP
Dr. Shalaka Samant, PhD who says... The information provided in this article about natural remedies for treating childrens yeast infections, effectively covers the various all-natural treatments that could help to resolve such infections and is medically correct.
I like to suggest a basic approach to treating childrens yeast infections and avoid the stronger herbs and supplements if at all possible. This approach has proven to work really really well without any unwanted side effects.
The first thing you need to do is to adjust their diets.
1. Get the sugar in their diets under control because sugar and simple carbs feed yeast. This means you need to restrict the obvious sugar and those foods that may not be obvious to you. That includes grains and pasta because they are quickly turned to sugar during digestion.
2. Cut down on the milk because it is so acidic, which affects good bacterial growth and over all health. It also contains enough sugar to cause blood sugar spikes. It quite often creates to much mucous which leads to colds and respiratory problems.
3. High sugar fruits are not a good idea either.
4. Anything else that comes in a package check the label for carbs. If it's over 9 carbs per serving then avoid it.
5. They also need to avoid yeasty foods.
The diet adjustments might be a little tough but you have to do it. Their sugar cravings and possible tantrums will pass in a few days so don't give in.
Dr. Shalaka Samant, PhD says...
C. albicans is a generally harmless commensal fungus found on the skin, gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary tract of all humans. Sometimes however, a change in the normal microbial flora that protect these niches makes this fungus turn into an opportunistic pathogen causing candidiasis (1). The risk of children developing candidiasis increases in hot and humid weather, increased time between diaper changes, excessive use of antibiotics or corticosteroids, and compromised immunity due to cancer chemotherapy, HIV etc. Candidiasis disproportionately affects critically ill children (2) and is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in hospitalized children.
Most yeast infections in paediatric patients resolve within two weeks after starting treatment with anti-fungals such as fluconazole, but reoccurrence is common. Another common problem encountered by current anti-fungal treatment used in children is the emergence of multi-drug resistant yeast strains (3), particularly non Candida albicans yeast strains, that cause paediatric infections. This has directed focus towards identifying natural remedies that can target the Candida growth.
Current evidence suggests that C. albicans infections most often arise from colonization of the patient’s own gastrointestinal tract (GIT) (4); colonization can then spread to multiple sites in the body, which is a risk factor for the development of systemic infection. Suitable alterations in the diet (5) therefore represent an important alternative treatment option for controlling GIT colonization by Candida. For instance, changing to a high fat diet or including large amounts of sugars (6) and carbohydrates in the diet has been linked to an increased risk for developing Candida infections. Reducing sugar and fat intake in children can help prevent Candida overgrowth.
1. Candida albicans - Biology, molecular characterization, pathogenicity, and advances in diagnosis and control – An update. Microbial Pathogenesis Volume 117, April 2018, Pages 128-138.
2. Pediatric Invasive Candidiasis: Epidemiology and Diagnosis in Children. J Fungi (Basel). 2016 Mar; 2(1): 5. Published online 2016 Jan 8. doi: 10.3390/jof2010005.
3. Hamdy RF, Zaoutis TE, Seo SK. Antifungal stewardship considerations for adults and pediatrics. Virulence. 2017;8(6):658‐672. doi:10.1080/21505594.2016.1226721.
4. Nucci M, Anaissie E. Revisiting the source of candidemia: skin or gut?. Clin Infect Dis. 2001;33(12):1959‐1967. doi:10.1086/323759.
5. Manipulation of Host Diet To Reduce Gastrointestinal Colonization by the Opportunistic Pathogen Candida albicans. Kearney T. W. Gunsalus, Stephanie N. Tornberg-Belanger, Nirupa R. Matthan, Alice H. Lichtenstein, Carol A. Kumamoto mSphere Nov 2015, 1 (1) e00020-15; DOI: 10.1128/mSphere.00020-15.
6. New perspectives on the nutritional factors influencing growth rate of Candida albicans in diabetics. An in vitro study. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2017 Sep; 112(9): 587–592.
doi: 10.1590/0074-02760170098.
I've been having such good luck with Biofase for children aged one year and above, that it is my first choice for treating children's yeast infections. It contains enzymes that eat the biofilm of yeasts and bad bacteria while also eating the cell wall of yeasts.
The initial dose should be one-half capsule once a day. If they do well after the first week, I would go to twice a day one hour before breakfast and at bedtime. After another week go to one capsule twice a day. If the infection has not improved after a couple more weeks, or if it seems they can't quite shake the infection, I would definitely add Profase.
Some mothers have given Biofase to 6 month olds as well with good results. Children, 14 and up, can take adult doses.
For stubborn infections, Profase can be used with Biofase and I would start at one half capsule and work up from there, just as you did with Biofase. The probiotic bacteria in Profase are medically proven to work for yeast and stimulate immune function.
Colostrum for treating childrens yeast infections has to be the one of the single greatest immune system products ever. It contains high amounts of immunoglobulins like IgA, which defends the mucous linings in the body. It has the capability to kill yeast, bacteria, and aid the body in the defense of viral attack.
When treating childrens yeast I like and recommend Symbiotics Wild Cherry Colostrum Plus Chewables because the acid in the stomach destroys colostrum if taken in the capsule form. Symbiotics Colostrum Plus contains 800mgs of colostrum and 12mgs of lactoferrin. Colostrum is very potent and lactoferrin is an excellent yeast killer as well as one of the best immune stimulators known. Your kids will also love the taste. Doses should be 2 tabs 3 x a day for children and with infants 1 tab two times a day.
There's one thing you need to know about colostrum, it tastes horrible if it is not flavored. Most kids will refuse to eat it. The colostrum product above is not only the best I can find, but kids also love the taste. Be careful though, I've had Mom's report that their kids start trying to sneak it and eat it like candy they love it so much.
Dr. Shalaka Samant, PhD says...
Colostrum provides immunoglobulins, proline-rich peptides, and a small amount of lactoferrin - each factors that support a normal immune response and help protect against infection. Colostrum also provides growth factors that support mucosal healing and repair, while lactoferrin exerts broad antimicrobial effects, with numerous studies showing its effectivity against Candida in vitro and in vivo. Colostrum can be a particularly effective treatment for GIT pathogens such as Candida as it specifically contains antibodies (7) directed against Candida.
7. Role of Colostrum in Gastrointestinal Infections. Pawan Rawal, Vineet Gupta and B.R. Thapa. Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Department of Gastroenterology, [Indian J Pediatr 2008; 75 (9) : 917-921]
Fifteen minutes after giving them the colostrum, give them either the 11-Strain probiotic powder or Custom Probiotics 1. The CP-1 capsules can be opened and the 11-Strain comes in a powdered form if it’s easier. Doses for CP-1 should be one capsule at bedtime, which equals 60 billion bacteria. After a few days raise the dose to 2 capsules two times a day. After a few more days you can raise the dose again if you need to. If your child develops diarrhea then you are giving them too much. All you do in that case is back off the dose a little so it subsides and then stay at that dose.
Doses for the 11-Strain powdered probiotic should be the same but I do suggest you start low and work up as needed. Most probiotics for treating childrens yeast infections only contain 500 million to 1 or 2 billion bacteria and this is way too weak to be effective. They need to get at least 30 billion a day to do any good.
For infants I do suggest you mix the colostrum and probiotic. All you do is crush the tablets and dump in the probiotic, add a little water to make a paste and feed it to them with a spoon.
Dr. Shalaka Samant, PhD says...
The use of probiotic bacteria against microbial infections has also emerged as an alternative therapeutic technique for targeting Candida infections (8). Specifically, studies show the potential of probiotic strains, such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus reuterii, in reducing yeast colonization in infants and children (9). Benefits of these strains in treating oral candidiasis and vaginal candidiasis have also been demonstrated.
8. Victor H. Matsubara, H. M. H. N. Bandara, Marcia P. A. Mayer, Lakshman P. Samaranayake, Probiotics as Antifungals in Mucosal Candidiasis, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 62, Issue 9, 1 May 2016, Pages 1143–1153
If they have a rash or skin yeast then you can apply Coconut oil directly to the infected area. Coconut oil contains lauric acid and other compounds that kill candida yeast and the oil soothes any itching and irritation they might have. You can also feed it to them to help break down the biofilm yeast makes to protect itself. It is a very good oil to cook with and the food cooked in this will have anti-fungal properties.
Dr. Shalaka Samant, PhD says...
Coconut oil and its constituent fatty acids, particularly decanoic and dodecanoic acid have been shown to have antifungal activity in vitro. Dietary coconut oil has also been shown to reduce GIT colonization by Candida in animal studies, and since it is a common ingredient in the regular diets of various ethnicities around the world it should be safe to administer to children. Coconut oil could therefore be an effective dietary intervention during candida infections in children (10).
10. In Vitro Killing of Candida albicans by Fatty Acids and Monoglycerides
Gudmundur Bergsson, Jóhann Arnfinnsson, Ólafur Steingrı́msson, Halldor Thormar
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy Nov 2001, 45 (11) 3209-3212; DOI: 10.1128/AAC.45.11.3209-3212.2001.
Autism can be caused by a general inflammation of the brain, which can be caused by the aluminum adjuvants used in vaccines interacting with the child's immune system.
Basically, the aluminum gets into the brain and if the child gets sick, the immune system causes an inflammatory response in an attempt to clear the infection. The immune system cytokines, interacting with this aluminum, produces inflammation in the brain, which most often pushes the child over the edge. Autism is a result.
Many times kids with autism have gut problems, yeast over growth in the gut, bad bacteria, slow bowels, chronic constipation, etc. Typically, autistic kids have an over abundance of Clostridium bacterial species as well.
If the child has yeast or bad bacteria problems, once you start treating the child, it can produce an immune response. This immune inflammatory response can sometimes cause autistic symptoms to worsen before they get better.
However, my 3 year old grand daughter is autistic and does not experience any sort of inflammatory reaction what-so-ever when taking one Biofase with one Profase at bedtime. She suffers suffers from chronic constipation and this combination has helped her immensely. Gone are the days of watching her scream in pain when trying to have a bowel movement... thank God!
Dr. Shalaka Samant, PhD says...
Fluconazole (1) is the most frequent antifungal agent administered for treatment of yeast infections in children. Nystatin has also been proposed as an alternative antifungal agent in children, because it is safe, well tolerated, effective, and cheap. Skin yeast infections in children are usually treated with antifungal ointments that are applied directly to the affected areas. Yeast infections in the vagina or anus can be treated with medicated suppositories. Thrush may be treated with a medicated mouthwash or lozenges. Systemic yeast infections, such as those that can develop in the mouth and later spread to other parts in the body, are treated with oral antifungal medications containing fluconazole.
Sometimes, amphotericin B and its derivatives as well as echinocandins such as micafungin and caspofungin (2) are also used for systemic therapy in children. The amphotericins act by binding to fungal membrane ergosterols resulting in increased membrane permeability and cell death. The azoles, such as fluconazole and ketoconazole, inhibit a fungal specific enzyme, whereas the echinocandins inhibit cell wall biosynthesis in fungi.
Specific characteristics of neonates and young children are extremely relevant to antifungal drug therapy—such as pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism, age-dependent adverse effects, route of drug administration, and limited clinical data. For instance, voriconazole (3), a derivative of fluconazole (second-generation triazole) has been used successfully to treat Aspergillus infections in preterm babies. However, there is toxicity associated with its use, and a safe dose for preterm infants remains to be determined.
1. Safety and Tolerability of Fluconazole in Children. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1999 Aug; 43(8): 1955–1960.
2. Pediatric Antifungal Agents. Curr Opin Infect Dis. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2010 Dec 1. Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2009 Dec; 22(6): 553–558.
doi: 10.1097/QCO.0b013e3283321ccc.
3.
Frankenbusch K, Eifinger F, Kribs A, Rengelshauseu J, Roth B. Severe
primary cutaneous aspergillosis refractory to amphotericin B and the
successful treatment with systemic voriconazole in two premature infants
with extremely low birth weight. J Perinatol. 2006;26(8):511‐514. doi:10.1038/sj.jp.7211532.
Do you have any questions about treating children's yeast infections or yeast infections in general? Ask your question here or contact us using the contact page of this website. It is also always a good idea to talk to your doctor as well.
Good afternoon Dan!
Just wanted to take a few minutes to update you on my little one.
I have stopped giving her barley, and the mucus in her stools is
basically gone! She gets some every once in a while, but I have a
feeling it's her system trying to get rid of the excess mucus build-up
in her gut (with the help of the probiotics).
I started giving her the CP-1 probiotic, and have seen wonderful
results. She sleeps well, coos a lot, babbles, smiles and laughs more.
Overall, she seems like a happier baby! I am increasing the dosage VERY
slowly, though, because she did get a horrible die-off reaction at
first.
I also tried giving her the Symbiotics Colostrum, but unfortunately, she
reacted to it pretty badly - lots of gas, diarrhea, hives. This reaction
was identical to the one she got when I was nursing her and had beef or
dairy in my diet. I have a feeling she is intolerant to all sources of
cow protein, not only to milk. I plan on trying it again when she is
around 15 months old or when she outgrows the intolerance to beef.
She is improving and thank you for your help, it is much appreciated.
Have a great day!
Helene
*****
Last July my son went to his 1st swimming class. He was almost 5. He drank so much water that made him sick for a day or two. We could not tell what he had, and got better a few days later but never really back to himself. A month later he and I got some sort of stomach virus that left us both very weak! we could not get up. Again, both of us got over it, but he still did not recover fully.
In November, he was diagnosed with HSPurpura. It was VERY scary and all we got was that it was an inflammatory condition that usually shows up after a cold. As it comes it goes, and it looks scarier than it is (if no complications with liver, or internal bleeding)
Soon thereafter he began having this constant nasal congestion, snoring so loud I had to go to the basement to sleep. Then a month or so later he got ear infections because of the nasal congestion. He went through 3 rounds of antibiotic for it and got worse every time. I had by then tried nasal cleansers and humidifiers.
I finally made contact with a holistic doctor who just heard his story and said try probiotics. He was certain he had a bad case of candida that now had spread to his gut and nose. By the way, his pediatrician and ETN doctor refused to do a culture because they don't do swabs for candida and they were certain it will all be better if they removed his tonsils and adenoids.
Back to the holistic doctor, he told me that all diseases start in the gut and that probiotics will make a big difference. He also said to stop with the humidifier as really bad stuff can grow on them.
After months of research, I finally found Dan at this site. I did not hesitate and bought the customs probiotic powder. I got the 11 Strain, 50 grams bottle. He began taking it in March of 2017. I gave him 2 grams on an empty stomach in the am and 1 in the pm. On the second day he began having bowel movements 2 times a day (he had 1 before that daily) and became VERY hungry.
Now, I thought he was having diarrhea at the beginning because his stool looked very lose, but I took a picture and sent it to my doc, and he told me it was not diarrhea, it was candida from his gut!
By the 4th day, his stool was normal and then I stayed at 2 grams until now (Dec 2017). Within 2 weeks he was breathing normally, no more snoring. He began to eat so much more, and more easily. His appetite improved tremendously and finally the 'under the weather look' he had all the time went away!
Probiotics made a huge difference. I am just about to order my second bottle as I am running low on the first one. I talk to everyone I know about my experience and how Dan was so accessible and how responsive he was too to all my concerns. I am so happy to have found him and this site. Thank you so much!
I honestly don't why kids and adults are not tested for candida. We do it in Europe and South America, why not here is beyond me! So much pain for parents and children and so easy to treat!!
Veronica
*****
Hi Dan,
I am writing to let you know that we just got the results back from another round of G.I testing for my son. If you recall, he is a 6 year old with numerous food allergy & sensitivity issues, and the previous test had revealed that he had severe systemic candida infection.. Since your recommendation last October, I increased his intake of Biofase to 2 capsules per day, and he now shows NO yeast or other pathogens in his gut!! This is a HUGE milestone for him, and I cannot say how thankful I am to you for your help with his case! The Biofase has helped him significantly, along with the other supplements that he has been taking (Colostrum, L-Glutamine, pro-biotics etc).
Please feel free to use this as yet another positive reference on your highly
informative website.. The information contained there was valuable for us, and am
sure will help a ton of others as well.
Thank you,
Sangeetha
*****
Hi Dan,
I just wanted to share some info with you that has worked for me. I have been giving my now 1 year old daughter the chewable colostrum tabs you suggest since she's been about 5 months old & what works great is using a mortal & pestle to grind the tabs up, then I put the powder in a little dish along with the CP-1 probiotics & just a tiny bit of water & mix with her spoon to make a thin paste. I just feed it to her with a spoon & she's always loved it & it's so easy to do! If anyone else is trying to figure out how to give their baby this, then it's a great & easy way. She hasn't had oral thrush for quite a while now.
Thanks for everything!
Ashlin
*****
Hi Dan,
I wanted to take a moment of your time to let you know that our daughter Amber (3 1/2) is doing extremely well after following your recommendations. No more itchy vagina and excellent over all heath.
I ended up buying the colostrum chewables by Symbiotics 1.2g each (now I need to find them in Canada! Paid lots of duty fees!) and the pro-biotic you recommended with 50 billion active cells since I could not quickly find any equivalent product at our local health food stores. They both were delivered within 48 hours which was wonderful. I take the colostrum as well especially when I feel a slight sore throat and a cold coming on since I read this suggestion on your web site.
Amber is still taking one pro-biotic a day (I open it up and spread it on her wheat free flax seed bread or in yogurt) and is taking the colostrum chewables - which she really likes and I am trying to bring her down from 3 in the am and 3 in the pm down to 1.
Thanking you again for your time and generous spirit.
Sincerely and most gratefully,
Julie
Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada
*****
Hello, Dan!
The Colostrum I am taking myself and giving to my precious baby is working. No more yeast infection for Baby Allyson! Thanks for your time and attention.
Sincerely and gratefully,
Connie Stollery
*****Hi Dan!
I wanted to let you know that my son's yeast is down to "rare!" on the stool test. Can you believe it? Still shooting for a result of "none," but what an improvement from when I took things over (with your help) when his levels were at a 4 plus!
Thank You!
Name withheld by request.
*****I am so impressed you will never believe it! I took Madison off milk and
like magic all that mucous just stopped! She still eats yogurt and has
been ok like you said but I am sooooo happy thank you a million!!!! My child is so much happier because of your advice she is playing and
giggling now!!
Now that I ordered colostrum I cant wait to see what happens!:)
Hugs,
Christine and Baby Madison
*****
Thank-you Dan.
I never did get back to you on my son's progress. I'm happy to tell you all of his symptoms have disappeared...autistic and yeast related. Turns out I was poisoning him with milk. He has a sensitivity to casein. So by treating his candida, getting him off the dairy and giving him some good quality efa's it seems I have cured him. He's no longer sick all of the time, his yeast rashes are gone, his digestion has improved, the constipation/diarrhea has resolved and most amazingly all of his quirky gestures have stopped. He's become quite sociable and best of all he's starting to talk!! Oliver was never given an autism diagnoses because he was only 18 months when I started all of this detective work, however I know autistic kids and he was uncannily similar to all of them. I am convinced that we reversed autism. Thank-you for the advice you gave me because it played a good role in his recovery.
Warmly,
Cindy Kelly
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