Stinky Kid

Updated on June 17, 2009
J.H. asks from Medway, OH
35 answers

I have a two year old who started to have this odor about a week ago. We couldn't figure out what it was from. We would give him a bath, brush his teeth and put cologne on him and ten minutes later the foul odor was back. We narrowed it down. We first thought it was his breath or sweat. When he gets hot and is running around he sweats a lot and the smell just wow it is out there. But I think it is definately coming from his head. When he cries his snot smells really bad and in return his breath is foul also. Does anyone know what this could be caused from or what we could give him? We have been giving him Sinupret up to this point, it has helped a bit but the smell is still there. My next step is the saline bottle thing (the nettle teapot thing) I am reluctant to do that though so....Any suggestions?

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So What Happened?

ok all! We went to the doctor and there WAS something up in there. It was stuffing from something like a stuffed animal or the padding off his chairs. There was like a quarter of an inch of stuff stuck up in there. Immediately the smell went away, I no longer have a stinky kid!!! :) Thanks all for your support and advice!!

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R.H.

answers from Cleveland on

YUP Look up the nose. Most likely there is something stuck up there that is rotting away. It happened to a friend of mine. Also I know that is a child is coming down sick there are some kids that get a bad smell about them. Good luck!!

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S.F.

answers from Columbus on

It sounds like it could be tonsils and/or adenoids, if he still has them. I would discuss it with my family doctor and an ear nose and throat doctor.

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S.K.

answers from Columbus on

I think you should take him to the doctors. I've heard of kids sticking things up their nose and getting them so far up there that they go up into the sinuses and start to mold and get infected. Hopefully I'm wrong, good luck.

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A.C.

answers from Cincinnati on

Hi J.! ...Stinky mucus is sometimes infection related. Has he been running any kind of fever? Even mild? I would personally take him to the doctor to make sure there wasn't a larger problem than just smelly snot. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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C.F.

answers from Columbus on

he probably has an infection - sinus, tooth, etc. If you have tooth decay your breath can be really bad....

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J.M.

answers from Columbus on

I happened to have had the same problem when I was a kid and my parents took me to the doctor and they found some kind of fuzz stuck up in my nose. They would give me multiple baths and a few minutes later the odor was back. I would definitely take him to the doctor and have them check that.

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L.F.

answers from Cleveland on

Since his snot stinks, have you had him checked for a sinus infection? Just a thought.......

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R.B.

answers from Cleveland on

My cousin had the same problem about 17 years ago. It turned out she was shoving the stuffing from her stuffed rabbit up her nose and it was rotting. She has had to have surgeries over the years to correct the damage it did and her tear ducts do not work. Have a doctor check it out soon.

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C.W.

answers from Columbus on

It could be a sinus infection. Have the pediatrician check it, or a referral to an ENT (Ear Nose Throat) specialist. Have a dentist check also - he could have an abcess which is draining unknown to anyone. I had an abcess in college - no pain, but the drainage was "Russian army marching in their socks across my mouth" horrible. Took a while to figure it out, since no pain.

Good luck!

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K.V.

answers from Columbus on

Is he healthy? Because bad breath in a child so young is usually a sign of strep or another infection. Please call your doc and have him evaluated.

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S.C.

answers from Fort Wayne on

Could be an infection in his nose or throat. My daughter had strep and the only symptom was the awful breath. Same with her sinus infections, the breath could peel paint!

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D.H.

answers from Columbus on

When my daughter was young, she had chronic sinus infections which had a foul odor -- just a thought. D.

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T.C.

answers from South Bend on

saline nasal spray would be worth a try to clean out the passages. Has he been drinking water? try to encourage that to cleanse his system.

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J.B.

answers from Indianapolis on

This is kind of a gross story but it may point you in the right direction. When my brother was small he had the same problem. I remember my mom taking him to the doctor and he found a piece of fabric high up in my brothers nose that was so nasty and smelled rotten. We never found out whether he stuffed it up there or if he had chewed on it and in swallowing it went up instead of down - lol. At any rate, the doctor removed it and the problem was solved.

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K.Y.

answers from Canton on

it could be a body odor that the child cant get rid of nor can you.. something in some peoples chemistry makeup causes this odor.. i havea friend who has this problem.. no matter what he does even shower doesnt help ask your dr about it..

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M.H.

answers from Columbus on

could be tonsils. may want to have doctor check it out. if tonsils swollen and infected can cause bad breathe

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E.W.

answers from Cleveland on

I would have the dr check it out. I remember the dr telling me that bad breath could be a sign of strep. My kids had it sometimes and I didn't know it.

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M.T.

answers from Fort Wayne on

This sounds exactly like my daughter at about this age! We tried everything but finally ended up taking her to the doctor. He found something lodged in her nose that he had to remove with a special instrument. Turns out, she had pulled some of the stuffing out of her blanket & pushed it up her nose. I would suggest taking him to a doctor asap!

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B.A.

answers from Indianapolis on

Well what did he stick up his nose?

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D.T.

answers from Muncie on

It is possible he has something up his nose. A quick trip to his doctor should be able to confirm or deny. Don't saline until you know for sure.

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T.P.

answers from Indianapolis on

Hi J.,
This happened to a friend of mine whose 2 yr old Daughter had a smell they couldn't figure out. Mainly bad breath. She finally took her to the Doctor and he looked up her nose and found a where she had stuck paper up her nose and it had started rotting. It was so far up her nose that her parents couldn't see it. I would take him to the doctor first to make sure there's nothing lodged up his nose. Good luck.

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D.G.

answers from Columbus on

It sounds like he may have a sinus infection or possibly a sinus blockage. Do you feed him a lot of foods with preservatives and artificial ingredients and food coloring. If you do stop and go natural. I would have your child checked, children that young should not have a bad sweating problem that smells.Or bad breath.

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M.C.

answers from Cleveland on

J., he could have pushed something up his nose and it is getting infected I would take him to the doctor. The same thing happened to my neighbors son and he had a bean growing up in his nose
Good Luck

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K.I.

answers from Cincinnati on

J.,

Take your child to the doctor! Stop trying home remedies, because your son may have tonsilitis and none of those attempts to cure it will work. He may have some other serious medical condition. Not to scare you, or anything, but please get him to a professional as soon as possible.

Best wishes,
K.

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K.W.

answers from Muncie on

He could have an infection...time to take him to the doctor.

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B.S.

answers from Cincinnati on

Does he feel bad at all? When people get strep throat--their breath smells really bad... I would consider taking him to the doctor.

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B.C.

answers from Indianapolis on

It sounds like a sinus infection or a dental infection - my guess from his age is sinus infection. You need to get him to the doctor so they can get him on an antibiotic. Good Luck.

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J.B.

answers from Cleveland on

Just a guess...Strept Throat. My son had the strangest odor - I had him brush his teeth like 3 times - thinking what in world did he eat? Then I remember hearing that some kids with strept throat get this bizarre odor. I took him to the dr. and sure enough his rapid test came back positive. Didn't get the fever til later that evening. If it's not that ~ then I have no other guesses!

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B.B.

answers from South Bend on

he may have an ear infection. my grandaughter always did and her ears stunk too.

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L.M.

answers from Cleveland on

I agree with calling your doctor and having him checked out.

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J.R.

answers from Columbus on

Should probably take him to the pediatrician to have his tonsils and nose checked out. I have a friend whose daughter stuffed a very small piece of foam from a seat cushion up her nose (the parents didn't know about it)and it was rotting(for lack of a better word) and giving a foul odor. Another friend's son was having some tonsil/adenoid issues. In both cases, once the "culprits" were removed, the odors went away.

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W.L.

answers from Columbus on

might need to check to see if he has something stuck up his nose. Almost the same thing happened to us. William smelled really bad and I thought he had a cold was slathering him with Vicks. Took him to the Dr and he had a Ear Plug shoved clear up his nose. Hope you figure it out.

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J.P.

answers from Cleveland on

Hi,

I'm not sure what's going on. This is new information for me, however, if it were my child, I would take him to the doctor first before trying anything else. It sounds like he's acting normal, however, still get him to a doctor.

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J.O.

answers from Evansville on

this is going to sound funny, but is it possible he could have pushed something up his nose when you weren't looking? when my mother was a child she had the same foul odor and my grandparents couldn't find the source, until one day she sneezed hard enough to expel rotten paper from her nostrils and the case was solved. take him to a pediatrician to have it checked out- could be food, paper, infection, anything really that's small enough to get up there

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D.B.

answers from Cleveland on

This might be off the wall but do you have any idea if he could have put something in his nostrils. I was doing childcare a few years ago and a little toddler had the same issue. They couldn't figure out what it was until they noticed his car seat was ripped and he was stuffing the sponge in the lining up his nose while his Mom was driving. Nevertheless when they took him to the pediatrician, they disovered what was wrong and had to remove it. Another child put two pretzel sticks up his nose and same result. Sponge and pretzels both expand in moisture which the nose definitely has. Removing the foreign objects was the solution both times, and the odor disappeared. If anything you can check this suggestion out. Good Luck.

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