Body Odor In Children: Some Causes And Remedies

1. Hygiene:

Poor hygiene is one of the most common cause of body odor in kids. If the kid is not taking a bath every day or not washing his underarms, feet or pubic area properly, then the bacteria accumulated there can cause bad odor in your child

2. Food habits:

What we put into our body is what comes out. So the food your kid eats has a direct relation not only with his breath but also his body odor. If your child eats any smelly food like onion, garlic, red meat, eggs, etc., he may start to emit bad body odor. This is because after these foods are digested, their smell seeps through the skin pores and causes odor

3. Puberty:

Body odor may be a sign of puberty in your child. This is the time your child goes through a lot of hormonal changes that causes a lot of change in their body and behavior. So if your child is attaining puberty, body odor is normal and not a cause of worry. Find out everything about early puberty in girls here.

4. Underlying medical condition:

A very distinct body odor in your kid may indicate an underlying medical condition like diabetes, liver or kidney problem or inflammation in your child. If your child is sweating unusually then this may also indicate that your child may have hyperhidrosis. It is necessary to check with your doctor to rule out any of these conditions

5. Fish Odor Syndrome Or Trimethylaminuria:

Fish odor syndrome is a rare condition that is caused because of abnormal production of flavin enzyme. It is a metabolic disorder in children that stops the chemical trimethylaminuria breaking down into trimethylamine oxide. As a result, this chemical gets accumulated, causing smelly urine, breath and sweat. The odor caused due to this chemical is funky smelling like a fish so it is also known as fish odor syndrome

Symptoms Of Body Odor In Kids

Body odor is a stinky smell that comes from a particular part of the body like the underarms, feet or groin. Odd and funky smell is the main symptom of body odor. When the endocrine system is affected by an infection in the body, these are some common symptoms that you will notice in your kid.

• Sweating excessively
• Sweating at night
• Hands are cold
• Losing weight

If body odor is caused due to some severe medical problem in your child, then your child may also complain of symptoms like:

• Chest pain or heaviness
• Blurred vision
• Breathlessness
• Confusion

Tips To Prevent Body Odor In Kids

Now you understand Some Causes And Remedies For Body Odor In children. You can prevent body odor in kids by using the following tips:

1. Maintaining a good hygiene:

This is the topmost tip to prevent body odor. If your child is eight years or less, help them to keep themselves clean and teach them about maintaining good hygiene. If you have a preteen or a teenager at home talk to him about the importance of hygiene. Educate them that they should use clean towels, clothes, socks, etc., every day.

2. Anti-bacterial soap:

When the body sweat comes in the contact with bacteria then it starts generating a bad odor. So it is a good idea to use an anti-bacterial soap for your child as these soaps play a great role in keeping bacteria at bay and preventing body odor in children

3. Bath is important:

Teach your child the importance of taking bath every day. Tell him to use soap and properly wash and scrub his underarms, genitals, feet as these parts of the body have a tendency to sweat and emit odor

4. Change the inner wear often:

If you want to save your child from the activated sweat glands that can cause body odor, then inculcate in him the habit of changing his under garments every day. By ensuring this your child will feel fresh and there will be no sign of sweat in his body

5. Introduce them to deodorants and antiperspirant:

For some kids, bathing alone will not help to prevent body odor throughout the day, especially when they are super active. So you can introduce them to either a deodorant or antiperspirant. Deodorants are good at covering up the smell when your kid sweats while antiperspirants help to reduce the amount of sweat produced. But make sure your kid uses deodorants or antiperspirants that are natural and unscented to avoid any kind of skin harm as kids have sensitive skin

6. Lemon juice formula:

This can be the best natural home remedy to control body odor. Add a few drops of lemon juice in your kid’s bath water. It will help to balance pH level of body by decreasing bacterial growth and keep his body dry
Now you know Some Causes And Remedies For Body Odor In children. Hopefully, the above tips will help to keep the body odor in your kids at bay and your kids smell better. But if none of the above tips help to prevent body odor in your child, then please talk to your doctor about it. Your doctor may require further evaluation and conduct certain test to rule out any underlying medical condition. Do share your experience in the comments section below.
Happy Parenting!