Yesterday my 4 month old started refluxing blood streaked mucous and formula. She already refluxes formula and mucous but the blood streaks were totally new! She started with this first thing in the morning. It was not a large amount at all so I decided to wait to call our PED to see if it happened anymore during the day. Turns out she did it quite a few more times, never anymore than the first time. Just small amounts but enough for it to be bright red and for me to know that it was blood.
The thing about the whole scenario is the not just a week ago she started spitting up pure acid. It stunk, made her breath stink and she screamed like it just hurt her sooo bad. We haven't see the GI yet and so our PED called the GI and they so kindly wrote us a script for Carafate to hold Andie over until we saw them on the 24th of this month.
Sorry had to stray for a moment, anyhow- I decided that since she kept having the blood streaked spitup and that she has been refluxing Acid that it was a good idea to call the PED to see what she thought we should do. They asked us to bring any rags that had blood on them to the office and bring her out also. So, we go out there....she looks in her mouth and says that she has a few white spots and immediatley diagnoses the whole issue as she has thrush!! Now Andie had thrush SEVERELY at 1 week old and she did not bleed nor did she have blood streaked spitup. I just don't think that this is the cause.
My true question is: Do you think that this is Thrush related or should I go with my instincts that this is irritation and possible damage from the acid?
I just can't comprehend this being Thrush expecially when it is hardly there at all!! Please help.

Hi,

Certainly GERD alone can cause the vomiting of bloody material, from forceful vomiting and developing a small tear in the lower end of the esophagus. I have never seen bleeding with thrush alone. Thrush can sometimes progress down the esophagus and can cause swalling difficulties and other symptoms. My guess is that the thrush should be aggressively treated. If it is gone in the mouth, it most likely would be gone in the esophagus. The lack of it in the mouth usually, but not always means that the potential esophagus thrush is also gone.

Hard for me to tell at this distance what is going on, but I would guess more likely GERD than thrush.

Good luck, Dr. Olson