We’ve been using Gentian Violet to treat our daughter’s thrush for the past few days. The number one complaint about it is that it is messy. It temporarily stains the mother’s nipples and baby’s mouth and cheeks purple, and will permanently stain any fabric it comes into contact with.
I will agree with mothers who say Gentian Violet is messy. I don’t think it’s quite as bad as people make it out to be, however. With a little caution and common sense, administering it to your thrush-ridden child doesn’t have to be a huge deal. If you are about to use Gentian Violet for the first time, you might want to try a few of the following to prep for the treatment:
1) Do not start the treatment until you can mostly be at home for 3-4 days. Not having to go anywhere will make life much simpler during this purple-stained time.
2) Plan on wearing black the entire length of the treatment. If that means wearing the same outfit every day, that’s okay. If you don’t want to wear black, wear paint clothes or any clothes that can get ruined.
3) Gather up all the old towels in the house, and spread them out wherever your baby typically plays or spends time: on the living room floor, on the changing table, and in the crib.
4) Before you put the Gentian Violet in your baby’s mouth, put Vaseline or olive oil on his cheeks and lips. This will minimize staining.
5) Be prepared to put a pacifier immediately into your baby’s mouth. This will keep your sweetie from putting his hands in his mouth and accidentally transferring the Gentian Violet to his eye. Gentian Violet in the eye of any person usually requires a visit to the doctor.
6) Have cotton balls, Q-tips, and an old bib handy.
Once you’ve done all of the former, you’re ready to apply the Gentian Violet. I recommend the following:
1) Undress your baby down to his diaper, and undress yourself from the waist up.
2) Dip a Q-tip into the Gentian Violet. Immediately put the cover back on the bottle tightly.
3) Paint Gentian Violet onto your nipples with the Q-tip until both are purple.
4) Put the Q-tip into your child’s mouth and let him suck a little Gentian violet off. This will only take a second. The Gentian Violet will quickly spread over your baby’s entire mouth.
5) Immediately breastfeed your child, and immediately place a pacifier in your child’s mouth following breastfeeding.
6) Use the cotton balls to wipe off any excess Vaseline/Gentian Violet residue off your baby’s cheeks and lips.
7) Carefully watch your baby for the next hour, making sure he does not wipe any Gentian Violet in his eyes.
After about an hour, the Gentian Violet isn’t as likely to dribble and drip on anything. You may want to put your child in the bathtub during part (or all) of this hour. After the initial hour, I would still recommend keeping your child on an old towel and away from anything you don’t want stained purple.
If your child ends up wiping some Gentian Violet in his eye (like mine did), rinse it thoroughly with water for 15 minutes. We took our daughter to the doctor to make sure she was okay, just as a precaution, and there was absolutely no damage to her eye.
Some children have developed sores in their mouth as a result of the Gentian Violet. This typically happens when parents use a solution of 2% Gentian Violet, rather than the recommended 1% solution. If your child develops the sores, immediately stop using the Gentian Violet. The sores usually clear up within one day.
Administering Gentian Violet 1-2 times per day for 3-4 days will supposedly clear up a stubborn case of thrush. If you’re like me and have had many failed attempts at curing it, this news is enough to make you jump for joy. Although Gentian Violet is known for being messy, following my tips can make it much easier to handle.
Related Blogs:
No, That’s Not Cottage Cheese In My Baby’s Mouth
Be Afraid, Thrush. Be Very Afraid.
Thrush: A Persistent Little Bugger