Relationship Between Candida Albicans Fungal Colonies From the Infant’s Mouth and Mother’s Nipple

Background and Objectives Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of candidiasis in the infant’s mouth and nipple of breastfeeding mothers can have positive effects on the infant’s nutrition from the mother’s milk. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Candida albicans fungal colonies in the infant’s oral cavities and nipples of breastfeeding mothers. Subjects and Methods This cross-sectional study was performed on 98 breastfeeding mothers and their healthy infants. Samples were taken from the posterior area of the infant’s tongue and the nipple of the breastfeeding mothers. Samples were transferred to a dextrose agar medium containing 0.05% chloramphenicol in the laboratory and were kept at 30 ° C for 48 hours and then the number of Candida colonies was counted and recorded. The data were analyzed by SPSS 17 statistical software and t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results The mean number of cultured colonies from infants’ mouths and nipples of breastfeeding mothers was 64.44±42.99 and 102.62±63.56, respectively. In neonates born by cesarean section and nipple of their mothers, there were significantly more Candida colonies (P<0.05). There was a positive and significant correlation between the number of cultured colonies from the nipple of breastfeeding mothers and the infant’s mouth (P=0.000, r=0.796). Conclusion Candida culture was positive in more than half of the samples both in the mouth of the infant and in their mothers’ nipples.