Yeast Infection on Her Neck

Updated on August 19, 2009
M.D. asks from Ardmore, OK
19 answers

Okay I am back here at 1 AM! I am adopting a 9 week old baby. We got her at 4 weeks old and have had nothing but issue after issue.. Her mother was a diabetic ( gestational), that got little if no medical while she was pregnant. We have gotten thrush, craddle cap, and now I think she has a yeast infecton on her neck. I took her to the doctor again today and he gave me a cream to put on it. And that was all his instructions! So I am batheing her normally ( taking all the precautions on drying her skin) then applying the cream. Well she is not sleeping due to the fact that I am sure it hurts. my question is WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? I have done the same thing with all the other children and no matter how many times her clothes are changed, bib is changed, she still seems to come up with something! I give her a bath every evening and most of the time one during the day. The craddle cap is still there but slowly going away! Anyone else have skin irratations with their babies? PLEASE LET ME KNOW.. Please dont think because there are 5 kids here that she is sitting in soiled clothes, because believe me she is not..

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E.M.

answers from San Antonio on

Hi M.,
Try Cetaphil soap and then apply Cetaphil lotion. These
products are a little pricey but they work. You can find
these products at HEB and Walgreens.

Good luck,
Elisa M

1 mom found this helpful
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N.M.

answers from Houston on

Oh! Poor baby!! I have to ask, are you adopting out of the foster care system? I ask because we are and with the different ages and a sibling group, that would fit the bill :)

Now, all of those things can come whether or not the bio mom had prenatal care. They just happen sometimes! Also, would follow what the doc says, give it a few days and go from there. She could be awake and crying from any number of things!

Sorry her little life has been so stressful so far!

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S.H.

answers from San Antonio on

She probably has a systemic yeast infection from her mother's uncontrolled diabetes. There may be some probiotic powder at the health food store you could mix in her formula. It will keep coming back in some form until it's out of her system.

Like this for example:
https://babyorganic.com/cart.php?target=product&produ...

Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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A.B.

answers from San Antonio on

My daughter also has some skin issues (although possibly more minor than your daughter's) including something similar to a yeast infection, and we've been told to use only Aveeno Baby skin and hair products, and to use soap very sparingly when we bathe her. When it was real bad, the doctor told us not to use any soap at all, and just rub some Aveeno Baby lotion on her in the bath. If we wash her hair and she wants to play in the tub afterward, we are to drain the tub and fill it with clean water.

Another friend whose baby had more isolated skin issues (just a few spots rather than sensitive all over) bought Aquaphor and that helped.

We either use Baby detergent or dye-free detergent in the laundry, but we always did because I also have sensitive skin.

With your baby being so young, I'd run anything new you plan to try by the pedi first.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.T.

answers from College Station on

I think you may be bathing her too much. If she does have sensitive skin, that is the last thing you want to do. Just change out her bibs, make sure some air gets into those little creases by laying her with her feet at your belly and easing her head back over your knees. She will like the new view of the world. That will let you get at those spaces clearly and get the medicine where it needs to go. If the cream the Dr. gave you doesn't work, try some A&D ointment.

Maybe bathe her without soap or try some Burt's Bees or other ALL NATURAL baby wash. You can find it in the natural foods section of the HEB. Also make sure you are washing her clothes in a "free" detergent.

Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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R.L.

answers from Houston on

I know you've received a lot of good advice, but here's my 2 cents form my experience with skin irritations.

My son and I both have extremely sensitive skin. One thing about sensitive skin is bathing too often can actually make it worse. So I would suggest to only bath once a day, or once every other day. In between wipe as needed with warm water and a soft cloth and mild soap.

Using oatmeal or baking soda in the bath water can help soothe skin irritations, although with the thrush I would ask the ped before using anything in the water.

Because Thrush is a fungal (yeast) infection you want to keep it dry and use the medication as needed. You may want to keep a bib to help keep her neck area dryer. I used to use cloth diapers to wipe and keep my son dry to prevent those nasty heat rashes.

Once the infection is gone you can use a mild baby lotion after bath. Keeping the skin moisturized helps keep irritation away.

Good luck, just be patient I'm sure it will pass!

1 mom found this helpful
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L.C.

answers from Houston on

I tried posting earlier and got an error message so hopefully it will work this time. :)

We've been there, done that with our daughter! Maddy got the yeast infections in the creases in her neck, arms, behind her knees, and in her private area. It was so frustrating!! Her pedi gave us a powder to use and just told us to try to keep those areas as dry as possible. As the baby gets older, and is able to move around more, those areas will start to dry out on their own. Maddy also had eczema so we had to 'play' with different lotions, body washes, powders, etc. We found that the Burt's Bees Milk Bath & Aveeno Creamy Body Wash for bathtime, Aveeno lotion (with the dark lid) for the after-bath lotion, and Aquafor for any chapped skin on her face did the trick. Her pedi suggested and prescribed lotions that just didn't work like our 'combo' did. It is all about trial & error and LOTS of patience. I'm so sorry you're having these problems! I think you're doing the right thing so keep it up.

Thrush is AWFUL and we fought with that several times too. If the baby isn't sleeping, that might be why. She's probably hungry but her mouth & throat are so irriated she can't eat well. That's the problem we had with our daughter.

I wish you the best of luck... I'm sure things will start to improve! :)

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K.R.

answers from Houston on

My son who was 4 months at the time had a rash on his cheeks, nothing seemed to work that the first pediatrician told me to use, then when I moved and went to the new doc, she prescribed hydrocortisone cream 1%. It worked real fast, actually over night it seemed. I know when I have had a yeast infection when I was preg my doc told me to use hydrocortisone cream also. Its worth a shot. just dont buy the generic kind over the counter, get the good stuff. Hope this works and congrats on your adoption

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C.W.

answers from Waco on

Hi M.
Bless you- God has certainly given you a mothers heart.
I think the old fashioned corn starch will really do the trick. My grandaughter had the same issue and nothing worked except the corn starch- it seems to really keep the area dry and helps with the healing.
good luck and blessings

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T.K.

answers from San Antonio on

Hi,
I also have 5 children, And now 2 step children.
What a blessing they ALL are!!
On everything from cradle cap, to boo boo's and etc, I use Vitamin E softgel pills. It works great. Just bite a few open, and rub the ointment on where it needs to be. Vitamin E is very inexspensive. I use it on everything!

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M.D.

answers from Victoria on

As far as the neck thing, I have no idea, but if she keeps getting craddle cap you may be washing her too much and its causing her scalp to dry out. Apply lotion or baby oil to her scalp to moisturize, her hair will be gross and sticky but it will help. My youngest has eczema and the pedi. instructed not to give him a bath everyday because it can dry out their skin. I hope this helps in some way. Best of luck to you and your growing family! God Bless :)

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L.W.

answers from Houston on

I would add vanilla yogurt(its tastier than plain) to a couple of bottles a day to help heal from the inside out. Like one mom said, yogurt is great for any type yeast infection!
I mix yogurt in my baby's milk & he loves it!! I also put it in the v8 fusion juice but I think your baby it too young for that. You could also mix the yogurt with water in a bottle, if you use water with the yogurt, I would suggest mixing it 1/2 & 1/2.
I too have 7 children,age range from 34 yrs down to 22 months, all adopted :)
What a blessing!!
Congratulations!!

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J.M.

answers from Houston on

M.,
None of these issues are alarming, just typical baby problems. Don't be upset by them. Just take things as they come. Babies with sensitive skin need much shorter baths and typically need lotion on a regular basis. Aquaphor is a great lotion for babies with skin issues. Keep your baby in loose clothing and none at all at times when possible. Not sure what prescription your dr prescibed, but my pedi suggests using OTC athletes foot cream for yeast infections on babies. I would consider finding a different pedi if yours isn't explaining things properly and causing frustration. It sounds like your littlest one might be needing to go to the dr frequently so you'll want a pedi that you have a good relationship with. Trust me there are a lot of good doctors out there. You are doing a great thing by giving these kids a family! Take one day at a time so you don't feel overwhelmed. Good luck to you!

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G.C.

answers from Corpus Christi on

Just shower the baby once a day. Have you applied some babypowder instead of cream? What about her feeding? She might also be allergic to the bib material or what is around her neck...don't use anything on her neck when feeding...plus is the baby a chunky cutty...the rolls on their necks just need to stay dry. The cap on her head...wet a bar of dove soap since that is gentle and get the area soapy...rinse...dry...and when dry apply olive oil. That was our family remedy when some babies were born with craddle cap.
Good Luck...awesome you adopted.

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S.O.

answers from San Antonio on

Have you tried oatmeal baths and soaks? They will help soothe her skin. Keep changing her bibs and clothes. Regularly wipe her neck especially inside the creases/folds (push her chin up and back to make sure you get it all). You might also try getting it in the sun? You might check out beeyoutiful.com and see what they suggest. You can also call/email them with questions. They have been very helpful to me.

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E.S.

answers from Houston on

I would think the yeast infection under the neck is because it is so hot mixed with a little drool or food and this is the perfect place for yeast to want to live. I don't know what kind of cream he gave you but I would follow his instructions and if it doesn't go away soon take her back. Congrats on the new baby.

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M.L.

answers from Houston on

My 4 month old daughter recently had a rash that the doctor said was a bacterial rash (yeast) so she told us to use Lotrimin (used for jock itch) and it cleared up within 2 days. She also recommended an oatmeal bath.

We use California Baby body wash which is much gentler than other baby products and helps keep my daughter's skin protected. We also use the California Baby Calendula Cream after every bath and her skin is so soft and rash free. It also works on cradle cap and for diaper rashes. Her skin was breaking out much more before but since we've been regularly using this after every bath, it's much better now and we hardly ever see a rash.

Just be careful if you use the hydro-cortizone cream on your baby's skin. Too much use can actually thin the skin over time and you'll have more issues with the skin later on.

Definitely use gentle bath products and stay away from fragrance products as they will irritate sensitive skin.

FYI - I've used the calendula cream as a night cream and it works great.

Good luck!

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D.W.

answers from College Station on

Food allergies can cause all kinds of skin problems... have you considered this? my husband has found over the years that milk products and too much beef contribute to his minor eczema becoming LESIONS all over his feet, legs and hands! So he drinks soy milk, and hardly eats yogurt and cheeses. Same with beef and chicken. It has worked wonders. Keeping a food log about what food might make her rashy or gassy, etc. might help a lot!

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K.P.

answers from San Antonio on

I know that this is going to sound a bit strange but a topical application of yogurt, plain with active cultures to the area and if the baby will eat the plain yogurt twice a day it will help the tummy fauna. The coolness of the yogurt is relieving to the irritation and the active cultures balance the yeast problem. We actually use in our house for the "other" yeast infections as long as they are not an infection caused by antibiotics and the yeast infection is not too severe.

My daughter used to get yeast infections around her belly button (strange but true) and we would apply the yogurt at night, clean it in the morning and dry it. It only took one application and the site look better and didn't itch so badly.

So we keep some on hand all the time. Hope it helps!

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