7 Weird Baby Smells That Will Amaze You

A mother is most times usually sensitive to how their baby smells. You may enjoy the soothing fragrance of babies as they snuggle close to you. However, if your child develops a weird body smell, fishy smell, or cake odor you can seek for medical attention to help know the reason for the particular baby’s smell. Read on to discover 7 weird baby smells that will amaze you and how to deal with them.

Common Causes of Body Odor In Babies

• Pollution and heat: Babies require a neat and hygienic environment to smell fresh. Once the environment is unconducive, dirty, and polluted, babies tend to give off a foul smell.

• Dust: This can result in the baby giving off a musty smell. It is important to clean and make your baby’s space dust-free.

• Dietary Imbalance: Your baby’s diet has a direct impact on their smell. And it not only tells on their odor but on their breath also. Some diets are absorbed into the skin pores after digestion. Some food responsible for this is dairy and milky products, ginger, garlic, and onions. Some of this food tend to digest and causes a bad odor after releasing hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan.

• Disorders: For instance, some metabolic diseases in babies are resultant from the release of trimethylaminuria, Flavin enzyme. The outcome is the accumulation of the chemical in kids, thus resulting in a fishy odor. If any abnormal smells persist with your baby, ensure to seek medical attention.

1. Baby smells like vinegar

Baby smelling like vinegar particularly your baby’s breath is usually a symptom of stomach acid. Occasionally, especially when you newly change their food, the baby may spit-up stomach acid, resulting in the smell. Also, your baby may have gastroesophageal reflux condition if the vinegar smell stays on. This condition surfaces when the esophageal sphincter doesn’t shut fully, enabling stomach acids to move via the esophagus. Based on research, baby infection could also lead to baby smelling like vinegar or make baby give a bitter smell.

To know the cause of baby vinegar smell, examine your little one for other indications. Babies suffering from gastroesophageal reflux condition may want nursing all the time, feed poorly, or cry continuously after feeding. They also suffer from little sleep and drool regularly.

2. Baby smells like onions

Like garlic consumption in mothers, the food your baby consumes has a direct effect on their body smell. Babies who consume breast milk from onion-consuming mothers would have some of it digested into their skin pores, making the baby smell like onions.

3. Baby smells like fish

Babies having FOS (fish odor syndrome) or primary trimethylaminuria will possess an unpleasant fish odor in their urine, breath, and make the baby smells like fish. A lack of enzymes genetically triggers this disorder to stop their body form. This is a genetic disorder caused by an enzyme deficiency that prevents their body from Trimethylamine breaking down.

(Trimethylamine) TMA is released in the intestine by foods digested by colonic bacteria such as fish, vegetables, eggs, legumes, etc. Trimethylamine gets to the liver and passes through the intestinal tract membrane, and is changed to TMAO (odorless trimethylamine oxide).

Viral hepatitis conditions in babies may also emit a bad fish smell because Trimethylamine in their liver is not changed into TMAO. Kidney diseases can also lead to TMA.

4. Baby smells like pancakes

If your little one gives off a pancake smell, it may be a case of MSUD (maple syrup urine disease). This disorder results from an enzyme complex deficiency that prevents the body from breaking down some proteins (amino acids) present in the body. This protein accumulation and their toxic waste product may make a baby smell like pancake or distinct sweet smell. If ignored, babies may develop neurological issues such as dysfunction, seizures, etc.

5. Baby smells like cheese

Baby smelling like cheese is a normal condition in babies. They usually smell like cheese. Thus, unique body smell goes off when your baby moves to a solid diet, hence reducing milk intake.

6. Baby Smells like Vomit

Baby Smelling like Vomit may be an indication of an underlying metabolic disorder. Sometimes the vomit smell a baby has is almost sour or musty, especially when they drool. The unpleasant smell can result from sweat and dirt trapped in their skin folds, neck area, underarms, etc. The absence of good hygiene can result in skin redness, fungal infection, or irritation.

Also, it may be a congenital metabolic disease, Phenylketonuria (PKU). This is a genetic disorder of reduced amino acid metabolism called phenylalanine. When ignored, phenylalanine accumulation in the blood may result in behavioral problems, lighter skin color, learning disabilities, tremors, epilepsy, etc.

7. Baby smells like garlic

Food Chemists have traced the garlic smell in babies back to their mothers. They discovered that the garlic smell is present in the breast milk of mothers who eat garlic. This results from a metabolite allyl methyl sulfide, which is produced in high concentration while breastfeeding. In connection with the breast milk properties, babies then give off the garlic smell in their skin excretion like sweat. So, if your Baby smells like garlic, you need to check your own diet.

8. Baby smells like popcorn

If your little one smells like popcorn, it might not be as weird as it appears. “Breath of buttered popcorn syndrome” is the most common cause of a baby who smells like popcorn. The body’s inability to break down the compound trimethylamine, which is normally created during the digestion of some foods, is the cause of this uncommon metabolic condition. The excess trimethylamine goes away through body fluids including sweat and breath, giving off a distinct popcorn-like odor.

9. Baby smells like pineapple

If your little one smells sweet and fruity, like pineapple, it’s probably because of their nutrition. Here, the saying “you are what you eat” is applicable. Babies who are breastfed can pick up the flavor of some food from their mothers, and pineapples are known to do this. When breastfeeding, the mother’s diet may have an impact on the natural tastes and chemicals present in breast milk, resulting in a unique smell in the baby’s skin or sweat.

10. Baby smells like perfume

It can be an enjoyable delight if your baby gives off a scent that is similar to perfume. This scent, which is also known as “new baby smell” or “baby powder scent,” is sometimes attributed to the natural scent created by a newborn’s skin. This pleasing scent has the power to bring on happy emotions and strengthen parent-newborn relationships. However, it is important to keep in mind that each baby is unique and that not all newborns may have this specific scent.

How to treat your baby’s Body Odor?

Here are some tips to consider if your baby gives off any of the 7 weird Baby Smells:

• Use baby shampoo in bathing the baby and regularly apply moisturizer after the bath session.
• To lessen sweating, use baby powders and see that your little one does not inhale the powder.
• Avoid spillage during feeding with the use of aprons, and clean their neck and face after feeding.
• Reduce excessive sweating by wearing light clothes for your baby.
• Use dry and clean footings always.
• Frequently wash baby’s clothes, dry them well and change the diapers. Also, endeavor to pat, wash genitals dry when changing diapers.
• Steer clear from foods responsible for body odor.

If you still notice the body smell after all of these, search for the appropriate cures or consult a baby skin specialist.  However, do not fret, as dietary changes and quick consultation can help you overcome the struggle against these baby smells.

Conclusion

There is a great disparity between a baby smelling owing to the environment and developing body odor in the real sense. As a parent, if your baby has any of the 7 weird babies’ smell, it may be a cause of concern or a time to be more attentive to their hygiene.