- Bad Breath in Children Can Mean a More Serious Health Issue
Bad breath in children can get worse throughout the day because as they breathe, their mouth becomes dryer, allowing bacteria to grow. Children need to see a pediatrician especially if they have to breathe out of their mouths due to colds, sinus infections, allergies, or bigger-than-average tonsils and adenoids blocking their nasal passages. Thumb sucking can also dry out the mouth.
For children, here is a list of uncommon bad breath odors that may be a sign of a much more serious health complication:
- Acetone - diabetes or acetone, alcohol, phenol, or salicylate ingestion
- Ammonia - possibly a urinary tract infections or kidney failure
- Asparagus - eating asparagus (yes, it may happen)
- Bitter almonds - cyanide poisoning
- Cat's urine - odor of cats syndrome (beta-methyl-crotonyl-CoA-carboxylase deficiency)
- Celery - Oasthouse urine disease
- Dead fish - stale fish syndrome (trimethylamine oxidase deficiency)
- Fresh-baked bread - typhoid fever
- Foul - tonsillitis, sinusitis, gingivitis, lung abscess, or dental cavities
- Garlic - arsenic, phosphorus, organic phosphate insecticides, or thallium poisoning
- Horse-like (also described as mouse-like or musty) - phenylketonuria
- Rancid butter - rancid butter syndrome (hypermethionemia and hypertyrosinemia)
- Raw liver - liver failure
- Sweaty socks - odor of sweaty feet syndrome (Isovalryl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency) or sweaty feet syndrome II (Green acyldehydrogenase deficiency)
- Violets - turpentine poisoning
Also, don't forget that little kids often stuff things in their mouth or noses, so always pay close attention, especially if there's discolored nasal discharge.
Source: Alan Greene MD FAAP
