Nutritional Deficiencies and Oral Candidiasis in Children from Northeastern Romania: A Cross-Sectional Biochemical Assessment

<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Oral candidiasis is a prevalent fungal infection in young children, often associated with underlying factors such as immunosuppression, poor oral hygiene, or nutritional deficiency. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between nutritional biochemical markers and the presence and severity of oral candidiasis in children aged 6 months to six years. <b>Methods</b>: A total of 60 participants were enrolled in a cross-sectional observational study, equally divided into a case group with clinically diagnosed oral candidiasis and a control group without fungal infection. Serum levels of vitamin D, iron, zinc, albumin, and vitamin A were measured in all participants. The severity of candidiasis was assessed using a standardized clinical scoring system. <b>Results</b>: Statistical analysis revealed that children with candidiasis exhibited significantly lower levels of all measured biochemical markers than healthy controls. However, no significant correlations were found between the severity of candidiasis and individual nutritional parameters. <b>Conclusions</b>: These findings suggest that even moderate deficiencies in essential nutrients may increase susceptibility to oral fungal infections, although they may not directly influence disease severity.