Oral thrush is one type of yeast infection which thrives in the warm and moist environment of your mouth.  You will most often see oral thrush in babies and the elderly and when it occurs it can be treated with medications and may be controlled partly by controlling your diet.

There seems little doubt that diet can have a lot to do with the health of your bodily functions, including the immune system and can help keep yeast growth under control.  In addition to diet some other factors that can influence yeast overgrowth include dental plates, pregnancy, antibiotics, contraceptive pills, chemotherapy, endocrine conditions, iron deficiency, and some underlying skin diseases.

Skin swabs and scrapings can help in the diagnose of oral thrush since it invades the tissues and causes a white filmy substance that coats the tongue or the roof of the mouth and the throat or inside the lips.  It can sometimes be a yellow coating, but white is the most common.

Cravings for sugar, alcohol, or bread can sometimes be connected to yeast.  Babies clearly won't be able to verbally state cravings but there may be other indications of an oral yeast infection.  Digestion problems and fatigue are two of the symptoms, but these can be obvious symptoms of many other illnesses as well. There may be a rash to accompany the yeast infection.  There could be red, peeling patches on the palate or tongue, extra discolored tissue, and red cracks at the corners of the mouth.
Babies are made especially uncomfortable because of the burning sensations in the mouth.  Both babies and the elderly can be at the disadvantage of being unable to express and pinpoint their discomfort.

Thrush can cause discomfort for babies while nursing because the yeast infection can be transferred to the baby at birth from a vaginal overgrowth, an infection under the mother's breast, on the nursed nipples, or inside the breast.  It is thought that pets or another family member can pass on a yeast infection as well but it most likely transferred from the mother.
Mother and baby may both need to be treated for the yeast infection at the same time because treating only one may mean the infection is transferred back again afterwards. This can lead to a constant transfer backwards and forwards between the two and the more times a person has a yeast infection, the harder it could become for it to be treated with each occurring instance.

Your baby may lose interest in their food if they are uncomfortable from thrush because it inhibits the ease of swallowing.  They may cry more and have difficulty sleeping as a result of hunger from not being able to eat properly or because of the general unease the infection causes.  Left untreated, the baby could develop other problems because of their unhappy and unhealthy state.  If you notice a milky white surface on your baby's tongue or other area in the mouth that will not wipe off with a moist cloth you should have your baby checked for a possible yeast infection as soon as possible.  A healthy baby is a happier baby; and a happy baby will help make you a happy mom.