Two Month Old Boy Smells Terrible When He Sweats

Chubby little 2-month-olds often have lots of rolls and folds where bacteria might be living. I don't mean to suggest that you aren't cleaning him properly, but my youngest started getting a bit whiffy until I got a lot more careful about washing and drying around the neck and thigh creases.

Does he have any signs of cradle cap? My son had cradle cap and we used to comment that his head sometimes smelled like a "grandpa head." Once the cradle cap was gone, his hair always smelled/smells fresh.

It could be a metabolic disorder or something else. Take him to a good pediatrician (not a PA) as soon as you can.

I have the exact same thing in my 1 month old. It is just her head - the top not near the neck. She is a terribly sweaty sleeper so I just attributed it to sweating (if we sweat that much, I think our heads would stink too). I know it is not milk because she gets a daily bath with a great scrub in the folds (everywhere there are folds), I don't feed her in her crib or leave her alone with a bottle. THe milk that does dribble when she is eating is wiped up immediately. She does spit up in her sleep - she has reflux, but as disgusting as it is - she swallows it. I am at a loss too - except for the sweating as a culprit.

Hello K.,
I don't think it is your baby. I think it could be his sheets. Does it only happen when he sleeps in his crib? Sometimes, when a baby goes to sleep with a bottle propped in their mouth, the milk will drip down the side of their cute little cheeks on to the mattress. The fowl oder could be from old formula or breast milk that dried up on the sheets. It's very common. Sometimes babies spit up a bit when sleeping & it also can cause the oder. Especially if it seeps into the creases of the neck. Since babies tend to sweat while sleeping, the moisture triggers the bad smell everytime he naps. If you check the sheets & they don't smell & you wash them & it still occurs. Then I would recommend you speak to a DR just to be safe. Take care sweety.
L.

Could he be spitting up in his sleep?

Could it be the laundry detergent you are using?
Maybe the soap you are using to bathe him?

Try switching to all-natural fragrance-free products for household and personal care, and see how that works.

Have you gone to his 2 month appointment yet? If not, bring it up with the doctor then.

Hi K.,

This may sound odd, but this is my sense when I hear of smells. If you think about the skin as being a detoxifying organ, which it is, then smells coming from the skin could be a natural process of detoxification. When you gave birth did you receive drugs? If so it could be his body processing them out. If it bothers you, you could use what I used for my son, certain essential oils bath products which are designed for babies.

hope that helps,

M.

It could be just allergy detoxing.

NAET.com for allergy eliminations.

ABC Distributing or Verseo.com for detox foot patches and body wraps.

Or Burke Williams or another spa for body wraps for detoxing.

Be well.

N.

I saw a lot of people mentioned the spitting up thing. It doesn't even have to be that, it can be milk that dribbled down while he was feeding and you didn't notice. I would definitely check in his neck and other areas that are harder to clean. Get a little something in there, and it gets stinky fast.

Hi K..

You've received a lot of good advise. If you think it's something serious, please take him to the Dr.'s to get checked ASAP.

I thought I had a stinky baby too (with my first born) but, my mother (Mom knows best) pointed out that babies do have a lot of creases and mine had this white cheesy gunk in the back of her little ears. Smelled gross when removing but, she's smelled good ever since (of course I kept cleaning there). So, if you think your baby smells "cheesy" - check behind his ears and under his neck.

Hope this helps.

Hi K.,

Double check all his little nooks and crannies, folds, etc. to make sure there isn't and "gunk" brewing. This happened to my daughter and when I asked my ped about it the first thing she did was stretch her little neck and show me all the "schmutz" that had gathered in there. Talk about foul!!! Hopefully that is all it is and all should be fine. Good luck!

That is really strange? Could it be the sheets, or matress that are causing the oder?

K. G

You are right, all babies smell good after a bath. But babies do sweat like all of us. Some people, babies alike, have lots of acid in their systems, and this is seen when their feet stink when they take off their shoes. My oldest boy would sweat as a baby, so that being said, many times (weather permitting) he would only be in a diaper, not because of my but because he was more comfortable this way. In the winter he had light clothing and a jacket. This is what makes all children unique, as he gets older he will have to have deodorant before he is a tween/teen.

I had to do this for my oldest son, my daughter and youngest boy, since they always wanted what their big brother had (grown and families of their own). I wouldn't worry much, just take steps to keep him cool when he sleeps and this should not be much of a problem. If you are still concerned, speak to your pediatrician and ask him/her for advice. These are my suggestions from my experience. There are other moms who have had this experience. I am confident that you will make the right choice. Good luck!

Let's be matter of fact:*Are you breast-feeding him and you are under medication? This might be the cause of it. He is just a little body while you are much bigger than him.
*Is he under medication that could be too strong? What goes inside our bodies, does come out in many ways, even odor. Here also have in mind his food. even adults are affected by what we eat or drink, also certain illneses like diabetis, etc,.
*Is the bedding sweatty or greasy? (the pillowcase will take a yellowish tint)If so, wash it twice with washing soda.
*Check his shampoo, does it have coconut oil? that's the culprit!
I hope you get more ideas than this and test them. Good luck, L..

What type of pillow does he have? I remember my son had a feather pillow and PEEEWE he smelled too.

wow that's odd..i hope it's not a combo of his sweat and his pillow or mattress..could be something in his diet..i would take him to the doc sometimes when something is wrong people can smell it. ...i hope not though i hope it's his sheets..maybe try new sheets?

My baby is da same leaves patches on her pillow nd wen I wash her nd change sheet on pillow nd her next sleep it's da same again plse sum1 tell me dis ain't serious nerves aren't d best

Culprits that come to mind:

- Funky sheets...especially one's that are borderline sour, so that you don't notice until they become warm/damp. aka contact with a warm little body.

- Spitting up while awake + body heat (especially little neck creases) + two hours = eeeeeeeew! Milk does NOT age well in creases or on warm damp clothes.

- Spitting up while asleep
... This one is scary. It's why pediatricians told parents to have their babies sleep on their tummies for so many years. If he's spitting up in his sleep he could easily aspirate on it. (Have it go into his lungs, and suffocate...or if not immediate suffocation -most frequent- it could instead be causing a pneumonia, or be the precursor to a massive lung infection. Rotting milk in the lungs = no good). It would actually be worth grabbing a book and sitting next to him for an entire nap or two, to make sure that this ISN'T the cause. If he IS you need to call your doc, and get his lungs checked out. You doc may very well then have your little guy be a tummy sleeper. The ratio of SIDs is higher in stomach sleepers than back sleepers...because most babies DON'T spit up in their sleep. It's a pretty dangerous thing if they are. One reason why drunks are always laid on their sides or their stomachs.

What does the smell smell like? Some smells are just a nuisance, but others can be a sign of something serious. Does it smell like acetone? Or urine? Or something like that? Is it a strong sweet smell?

Hi Kristen,
I think you should definately ask your doc about this one. I have read that babies dont sweat like adults do because their sweat glands are not mature yet, that is why they can overheat very easily, so the smell may not actually be sweat. i think I read in my book, BABY 411, that certain smells can indicate a disorder, for example, a fruti mouth smell can be diabetes. What exactly does he smell like, I mean is there a distinct smell??

A.

My belief is that it comes from the inside. What is his diet like? I would try cleaning it up and see. He could have digestive problems.

I would definitely mention this to your pediatrician at your next appt or call if you've already had it.

Probably he is spitting up in his sleep but I think that's pretty normal for babies that age. Someone else mentioned sheets - the sheets are likely funky from it too, wash them & try using a sheet saver. It's a little piece fabric that you tie to the sides of the crib (it is for the babys head & neck area) that he sleeps on that protects the sheets from getting dirty. The good thing about this is you just take that off & wash it daily but don't need to wash the whole crib sheet as that's a pain. Anyway that's likely to help.

thats could be sights of , rachitis. Is he skiny? Ask your doctor asap

low budget solution: live without suppressing the smell. this is vital since his little body is doing him a good service getting rid of stuff. do not stay in the way of it for aesthetical reasons. imagine if all these would stay inside! if he is on the formula, consider baby's probiotics. increase his liquid intake.

more costly: go to homeopath. wherever you are, you can find good one using this links:
http://www.homeopathy.org/directory.htmlas
http://nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org/resources/practiti...
it will not be cheap. base your selection not on price, but on years of training (not on years of practice - someone can "practice" for years w/o knowing very much about homeopathy. you don't need that)
Good Luck
V.