Reasons for Smelly toddler breath??

DD had a cold a few weeks back and I noticed then that her breath smelt, it didnt smell horrible but it wasnt nice either kind of sweet and strong, maybe a mucousy type smell, I put it down to her having a cold and thought it would go away. I was concerned about Tonsilitis so I did keep an eye on her temp etc but she showed no other signs.
The cold cleared up well but the breath has still persisted, I called nurse on call today and the nurse i spoke to was a bit stumped but did mention that it can be normal and worse case scenario it could even be a sign of Infant diabetes.
I had a chat to my mum about it and we both agreed that DD did show other signs of being diebetic but not sure signs, what I mean is that the signs could also be related to other things.
I took her to the doctor today and had her ears, throat and chest checked just to make sure it wasnt from an infection still lingering from the cold and all is well.
I didnt ask about the diabetes but I should have, I am pretty tired at the moment and didnt ask but thats another story.
The doctor said that it was probably her teething making her breath smell.
Has anyone had this in their toddler or can you suggest any other things that may be causing it.
Thanks xoxoxox

Teething does cause a really distinctive breath odour.
Tummy bugs or digestive issues can cause it too.

I guess diabetes is a possibility. What other symptoms does she have?

sore throat is my first thought with bad odour breath,

she is very up and down with her emotions, can go from being really happy and sweet to angry and frustrated in a second, screaming, hitting , she bites and thrashes, head buts thing. I realise this could also be normal toddler behaviour but this is my first child so I have never dealt with this before.
About 6 weeks ago our rental property flooded, my mum and sister rent it from us, since then they have been living with us on and off. I dont know if its coincidence or not but since they have been here DD sleep has gotten terrible, we can only get 3 hours out of her in her own bed, it can take an hour or more to settle her, then she will be awake 5 mins later, because we have people living with us we dont let her cry so she ends up in bed with us, at first she would go straight to sleep and sleep all night in our bed without a sound, now she screams and throws herself around the bed, she bites me and hits DH and I or headbutts us, it is so horrible, I have been beside myself and in tears, it can take us hours to settle her. We have tried, teddies, night lights, patting, panadol, nurofen, she wears an amber necklace and nothing helps. She has just got another molar come through too.
Sorry for the big long story but I felt all the facts were needed.
As for other symptoms she drinks a lot of water, not sure if its normal however she does not urinate an unusual amount. she vomited very small amounts 3 times on the weekend but its not something she has even done and she wasnt upset at the time.
She has not had a solid poo for 2 weeks or more but its not runny either and I have just put this down to teething. nappy rash on and off, one day its there the next its gone.
I cant think of everything at the moment I am not functioning on much sleep.

Thanks Rach was my first thought too but doctor looked today and said it was normal

I saw a show the other day on TV (some hosptial/emergency room one on foxtel) and a little girl had smelly breath. She ended up having a pea stuck up her nose that had gotten infected and mushy. Maybe see if there maybe something similar :dunno:

I did read this too but nope nothing there.

just wanted to bump it into the new posts list again

Seems like an obvious question, but are you brushing her teeth twice a day? When you brush her teeth, do you brush her tongue too? Lotsa bacteria live there & can get a bit stinky if you don't brush them off.

I find dairy makes my toddler's breath stinky. Does she eat/drink much dairy?

Could she have a dental issue? Cavity or abscess?

Hope you find an answer xx

At the moment I am not brushing her teeth twice a day, she wont even open her mouth for me to brush them because of teeth coming through. She has had her teeth brushed since the stinky breath started but not well and no I have not brushed her tongue.

I'd say that's the culprit then.. especially if she does eat any dairy. At around 16-17 months I noticed my toddlers breath was stinky in the mornings if we missed brushing his teeth the night before, and that was around the time he started eating solids properly (late starter - he was still 80% BM until then). I wish someone would invent a yummy tasting spray on listerine for toddlers. Would make dental care so much easier in the first couple of years!

My DS2 started getting tonsilitis last year and has had it constantly since then. He always gets bad breath when another case of it is coming on. However even when he is well over it he still has bad breath. He hasnt had tonsilitis now for 4 weeks and is well, but still has the bad breath. We are currently going through the process to have his tonsils removed as he gets it pretty bad and convulses. Good Luck.

Maybe it is just plain old teething. DS gets stinky breath when he's teething and because it can take weeks for them to come through it is something that seems to linger. We call it 'tuna breath' because it is a fairly distinct fishy kind of smell. And he doesn't like fishy food so it can't be tuna stuck in his teeth! :dunno: He also seems to get a cold/sore throat/runny nose/run down when he's teething which I think just exacerbates the problem.

If she seems well in every other way, I would just watch her for a few more weeks and wait at least a week after the new teeth have broken through (as long as there is no more teeth threatening to cut either). If it clears up then - GREAT, if not then you can look at other possible reasons. And try to keep up the dental hygiene, I know how hard it is though - we have the same issues!!

Bad breath can be a common sign of a deficiency in beneficial gut flora - otherwise known as probiotic bacteria strains. This is normally caused by exposure to antibiotics - either directly or indirectly via breastmilk. The antibiotics cannot discriminate between good and bad bacteria and effectively kill both, leaving you a little defenceless in the digestive region.
I would suggest getting an infant probiotic from your local health food store (you can buy it in powder form and add it to her milk or water etc).

Hope this helps.

XX