Baby with bad breath: 5 causes and what to do

Although bad breath is more common in adults due to poor oral hygiene, it can also happen in babies, being caused by several problems ranging from feeding to dry mouth or respiratory infections, for example.

However, poor hygiene is also a major cause of bad breath because, even if they don't have teeth yet, babies can develop the same bacteria that adults do on teeth, but on the tongue, cheeks and gums.

Thus, the best way to eliminate bad breath in the baby is to have an adequate oral hygiene and, if it does not improve, it is advisable to consult the pediatrician to identify if there is any health problem, initiating the appropriate treatment if necessary. See how to do the baby's oral hygiene in the right way.

Some of the most frequent causes of bad breath in the baby include:

1. Dry mouth

Babies are more likely to sleep with their mouths slightly open, so their mouths are easily dry due to frequent airflow.

In this way, drops of milk and food scraps can dry and leave sugars stuck to the gums, allowing bacteria and fungi to develop, which in addition to causing mouth sores, cause bad breath.

What to do: adequate oral hygiene must be maintained, especially after breastfeeding or feeding the baby, thus avoiding the accumulation of drops of milk that can dry out when the baby has an open mouth. Another simple way to alleviate the problem is to offer the baby some water after the milk.

2. Poor oral hygiene

Although the teeth only start to appear around 6 or 8 months of age, the truth is that oral hygiene must be performed from birth, because even if there are no teeth, bacteria can settle inside the baby's mouth, causing bad breath and oral problems, such as thrush or cavities.

What to do: clean the baby's mouth with a damp cloth or gauze, at least twice a day, until the first teeth appear. After the birth of the teeth, it is recommended to use a soft brush and paste suitable for the baby's age.

3. Use inappropriate toothpaste

In some cases, bad breath can arise even when you are doing the proper hygiene and this can happen because you are not using the proper paste.

Generally, baby pastes should not contain any type of chemical, however, some may contain sodium lauryl sulfate, a substance that is used to create foam and that can lead to dryness of the mouth and the appearance of small wounds. Thus, this type of paste can often facilitate the development of bacteria and, consequently, bad breath.

What to do: Avoid using toothpastes that contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate in their composition, giving preference to neutral toothpastes that produce little foam.

4. Eat strong smelling foods

Bad breath can also arise when you start introducing new foods to your baby, especially when using garlic or onions to prepare some baby food. This happens because, as in adults, these foods leave an intense smell in the mouth, worsening the breath.

What to do: avoid using this type of food frequently in the preparation of baby's meals and always do adequate oral hygiene after meals.

5. Respiratory and throat infections

Respiratory and throat infections, such as sinusitis or tonsillitis, although they are a rarer cause, can also cause the development of bad breath that is usually associated with other symptoms such as runny nose, cough or fever, for example.

What to do: if an infection is suspected or if the bad breath does not disappear after proper hygiene of the baby's mouth, it is recommended to go to the pediatrician to identify the cause and start the appropriate treatment.

When to go to the pediatrician

It is recommended to go to the pediatrician when the baby has:

• Fever above 38ºC; Appearance of white plaques in the mouth; Bleeding gums; Loss of appetite; Weight loss for no apparent reason.

In these cases, the baby may be developing an infection, so the pediatrician may prescribe an antibiotic to eliminate the infection and other remedies to relieve symptoms.