There can be many reasons for a baby’s breath smelling like body odor. Learn all about it in this short informative article.
Baby’s Breath Smelling Like Body Odor
Babies smell sweet and generally have a sweet breath too. In the first few weeks of their life, the smell of your baby elicits a pleasurable sensation in your brain. In older children and adults, the most common cause for bad breath is harmful oral bacteria which attack the food particles trapped between the teeth, at the gum line, tongue, or around the tonsils in the throat.
The bacteria break down the particles into noxious sulfur compounds. Babies have no teeth, and hence their breath smells clean. Babies also salivate a lot which keeps their mouths clean and free of bad bacteria. Breastfed babies have an added defense against bad breath.
Breastmilk contains white blood cells that attack odor, causing bacteria.
Sometimes, you may notice that your baby’s breath is malodorous. The reason could be:
- An infection in the sinus or tonsils
- Obstruction in the nose
- Gastro-esophageal reflux after excess food or milk intake
- Excessive consumption of sugar
- A stuffy nose and mouth breathing, which dries oral membranes causing the proliferation of bad bacteria.
Even if your baby has just a few newly erupted teeth, bacteria can still cause tooth decay in baby teeth.
Babies also tend to put their fingers and any object they can grasp into their mouths. These get coated with the baby’s saliva, which contains putrefying bacteria. The bacteria cause the toys to develop a bad odor. When your baby reintroduces the toy into the mouth, then the breath smells bad.
Remedies for Baby’s Bad Breath
There is no need to get anxious should your baby’s breath smell bad. Certain simple fixes can remedy it.
1. Oral Hygiene Before Developing Teeth
Even if your baby is yet to develop teeth, practice a good oral cleansing routine. Gently wipe your baby’s gums and tongue with a soft, damp cloth or towel after every feed and before putting your baby to bed.
2. Oral Hygiene After Developing Teeth
When your baby is six months old and has started developing their first teeth, use a soft-bristled toothbrush to clean your baby’s gums, teeth and tongue. You can use a small quantity of gentle baby toothpaste.
3. Cleanliness
Wash your baby’s hands, toys, and pacifier regularly after and before using it every time. This way, the bacteria will get washed away.
4. Diet Plan
Feed your baby a diet low in starch and sugar. A diet low in starch and sugar would require fewer efforts in washing the food away from the palate. If the tongue and palate would remain clean, bad bacteria will not accumulate.
5. Consult Doctor
If, despite such remedial actions, your baby continues to have bad breath, seek a medical opinion. If you suspect that your baby could have a foreign object lodged in the nose or the bad breath is accompanied by a fever, then it warrants an immediate consultation with your doctor.
Any respiratory illness caused by allergies, colds, or flu can cause your baby to have a stuffy nose. Get it checked by your doctor.
