Although bad breath is more common in adults due to poor oral hygiene, it can also occur 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 though they do not yet have teeth, babies can develop the same bacteria that adults develop on their teeth, but on their tongue, cheeks and gums.
Thus, the best way to eliminate bad breath in the baby is to do proper oral hygiene and, if it does not improve, it is advised to consult the pediatrician to identify if there is a health problem, initiating appropriate treatment if necessary.
Here's how to do oral hygiene on: How to brush baby's teeth.
Top 5 Causes of Bad Breath in Baby
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 mouth becomes easily dry due to frequent airflow.
That way, milk droplets and leftover foods can dry up and leave sugars stuck to the gums, allowing the development of bacteria, which in addition to causing mouth sores, cause bad breath.
What to do: Proper oral hygiene should be maintained, especially after breastfeeding or feeding the baby, thus avoiding the accumulation of milk droplets that can dry out when the baby has an open mouth.
2. Poor oral hygiene
Although teeth only begin to appear around 6 or 8 months of age, the truth is that oral hygiene should 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: You should wipe 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 improper toothpaste
In some cases, bad breath can even arise when you are doing the proper hygiene and this can happen because you are not using the proper paste, for example.
Generally, baby binders should not contain any kind of chemical, however, some may have in their composition Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, a substance that is used to create foam and which can lead to dryness of the mouth and the appearance of small wounds . Thus, these types of pastes can often facilitate the development of bacteria and hence bad breath.
What to do: Avoid using toothpaste containing Sodium Lauryl Sulfate in its composition, giving preference to neutral pastes that produce little foam.
4. Eat food with a strong smell
Bad breath can arise when you start introducing new foods into your baby, especially when using garlic or onions to make some baby food. This happens because, as in adults, these foods leave an intense smell in the mouth, making the breath worse.
What to do: Avoid frequent use of this type of food in the preparation of baby's meals and always make proper 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 lead to the development of bad breath that is usually associated with other symptoms such as coryza, cough or fever, for example.
What to do: If there is suspicion of an infection or if 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 presents:
- Fever above 38ºC;
- Emergence of white plaques in the mouth;
- Bleeding gums;
- Loss of appetite;
- Weight loss for no apparent reason.
In these cases, your baby may be developing an infection and your pediatrician may prescribe an antibiotic to eliminate the infection and other remedies to relieve the symptoms.
