Orange tongue?

babyglo350

I am asking this for a concerned friend. Her baby is exclusively formula fed (similac if it matters). She used to have a white coating on her tongue that she and her husband jokingly referred to as "formula tongue". Today her father in law noticed that her tongue looked orange. Baby girl is 16 weeks old and her mama is worried now. I'm thinking it's probably thrush. Anyone have any advice I can pass along to a fellow mommy?

sm623

Thrush is usually a white coating on the tongue in BF babies (not FF) from the yeast eating the sugars in BM, but the white coating doesn't wipe off. I've never heard of it being orange. Another symptom with thrush that the baby would likely have is a bumpy red rash on his/her bottom. I'm not a medical professional, but from what research I've done about thrush, I don't think the symptoms you're describing sound like it.

Julie&Micah

We've had thrush twice now (yay! First LO never had it) starts as white spots. Could be on tongue or side of cheeks. It doesn't rub/scrape off like milk tongue will. Never heard it it being orange...so that part doesn't sound like thrush. If LO gets thrush and is BF, mom needs to be treated as well or you'll keep passing it back and forth. Often the diaper rash appears too, but not always. (DS never had the rash)

babyglo350

Thanks for the info. Wish I could help her out. I have never heard of this either.

Read247

I flipped out the other day because my breastfed baby had a black spot on his tongue! Turned out it was a piece of fuzz from a blankie. Has your friend tried wiping it off? It could be simply fuzz or something from the baby sucking on a blankie or stuffed animal. Just a thought!

tbmadeamistake

Agree with PPs, thrush isn't orange. I second trying to wipe it off. It could be from a toy, or if she sucks on mom's clothes (C once woke up with grey teeth. I flipped until I realized she had been sucking the end of my grey scarf and the dye had bled). If she's starting table food, it could also be from that. If baby doesn't seem bothered, I personally wouldn't worry and would wait until her next well visit.

shellbell813

Just fyi... thrush is not exclusively bf babies. It can get in the nipples of bottles as well and it's damn impossible to get rid of when it does.