Infant Bad Breath

You look down into the crib and baby with his cute face and chubby cheeks looks so adorable that you just can’t help from holding him in your arms. So, you reach down to pick him up from the crib. However, suddenly your nose catches some stinky smell and you are left wondering, when the little one’s diaper was changed last time. It’s only after a little more investigation that you realize that the stink is coming from your little one’s mouth. This is the moment, when you think, ‘Aren’t babies supposed to smell good?’ Infant bad breath problem seems to be impossible but the bad breath is such a problem, which can happen to anyone and little ones are no exception. Bad breath in infants can also be an alarming sign for parents, as it can be a sign of some hidden illness or infection. However, in most cases, bad breath is preventable. All you need is to follow some small tips for your little one. Here in this article, you can know all about bad breath from causes to preventive measures.

Infant Bad Breath Causes And Prevention

Causes Of Infant Bad Breath

Your mouth and baby’s mouth is no different, except for that your little one doesn’t have teeth. Normal bacteria live in mouth and feed on leftover food particles on your baby’s mouth, tongue or at the gum line. This causes bad breath especially if the food in mouth remains left for long time.
If your baby is breathing through his mouth then this can be the cause behind bad breath. In this case, muscles in mouth will relax and lead to decrease in production of saliva. Eventually, the mouth will dry up. Dry mouth will lead to increase of natural bacteria in baby’s mouth resulting in bad breath.
Thumb sucking can also be the cause behind bad breath. When baby sucks his thumb, it causes dryness in the mouth. Dry mouth is an ideal place for bacteria to grow and multiply. This will eventually lead to bad breath.
Just like thumb sucking, use of pacifier can also be another cause of bad breath. When a child puts a pacifier in his mouth it’s filled with saliva. The bad breath causing bacteria will multiply when the pacifier has dried up saliva. So, the next time, you give this unclean pacifier to your baby, it will lead to bad breath.
Sometimes an illness like tonsillitis, sinus infection, and seasonal allergy can cause bad breath. So, it’s important not to overlook baby’s condition. Bad breath can be a sign of some infection or disease. If even after taking some preventive measure the problem persists, you should consult a doctor.

Preventing Bad Breath

In most cases, good oral hygiene is the solution for bad breath problem. Try to brush or wipe your little one’s gums with a soft cloth before bedtime and after every feeding. Don’t use toothpaste at this age for your baby.
Frequently, wash your baby’s hands with soap and water, if your baby sucks his thumb.
The best thing to do is to prevent your baby from sucking toys, pacifier, or any other object that he can put in his mouth. However, if your baby uses a pacifier then you should sterilize it in boiling water to get rid of harmful bacteria. This will prevent growth of bad breath causing bacteria on the pacifier.
When trying to treat infant bad breath, remember that you shouldn’t give any antiseptic mouthwash to your baby. Your little one can’t be trusted with not to swallow mouthwash!
If all efforts fail in stopping your baby’s bad breath then you should consult baby’s pediatrician.

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