Since my daughter was 3 months old, now 26 months, she's had body odor underneath her armpits. I've discussed this with her pediatrician and requested blood work, but since she's perfectly healthy and growing on target, he's not concerned. It's not her hygiene. She's always had a bath every day, we scrub the area very well, dry the area very well, and used cornstarch/powder exclusively for about 11 months. It wasn't any better so after discussing it again with her doctor, he suggested using arm deodorant. We use a natural one, but it's still not working. I wish it was hereditary, so I would have an answer, but neither my husband nor myself ever had this problem. As she gets older, I get more and more concerned because we all know how cruel parents and children can be. Has anyone experienced this with their babies?
hi E. guess what? Have you tried lemon? Yeah I know it sounds funny but it can give good results. Try rubbing lemon like if you were using deoderant and after several tries youll see or smell the difference Good luck!
sorry that you have to go thru this. go to a health food store and ask for rose water.. or go on line an see if you can get it. put a little in the bath.. and try to splash some under her arms.. it's all natural.. then try a good corn starch baby powder and baby lotion.. she should start smelling like a rose. I use rose water.. and friends of mine use it too.. you really smell fresh after you apply. good luck. A.
p.s. what is she eating.. anything that would make her smell.. like spices you might use?? sometimes what we eat makes us smell like that for days.. different foods react to different people... like garlic. i can eat no problem.. my husband eats it and he smells like garlic for 2 days.. good luck!! maybe when you cook you can add parsley (fresh) to your food.. it helps too... also lemon juice helps absorb odors.. in foods.
get a second opinion. if there is another doctor in the practice, ask him, if not try a different practice. i have not experienced this, but it would make me wonder if anything was wrong.
Are you sure it isn't a yeast infection?? When my son was a few months old, he would get yeast infections under his neck, and a little in his armpits and creases of his legs- it smelled pretty bad. Thourough cleaning and drying, along with a little powder helped, but some yeast infections may need a prescription...
Good Luck!
One can't fix a problem until the cause of it is known....I would go back to the doctor or check with another doctor and insist they help you find the cause of the problem.
What kind of body wash are you using on her and what are you using to wash her clothes with? Try changing both...maybe it's the way the product reacts to her body that's causing the order. Might sound silly...but like perfumes and colognes, they might smell nice in the bottle or on a friend but not on you...products react differently for some people....
In the mean time use baby wipes when ever possible to keep her fresh...
I just read the back of my box of Arm & hammer Baking Soda, it reads that it can be used in a warm bath...maybe that will help to use in her bath water...
also, try using white vinegar on her armpits with a cotton ball and then give her a bath. Make sure you rince her off well..
Instead of using regular deodorant, try using a mineral salt crystal deodorant. It's more effective and probably safer than a regular deodorant. Here is more info;
http://www.thecrystal.com/product_information.cfm
I think it's kind of normal for babies to be a little stinky under their arms. They are chubby and always warm. The extra skin folds can collect the sweat and cause a smell. I would stop using the cornstarch- the natural sugars in cornstarch are great for growing bacteria, which is what causes smells. Maybe by scrubbing so hard and so often you are causing an overproduction of oil and moisture. When you wash too often, the body gets the message that the skin is dry, increasing oil and moisture production. I'm sure the smell is not noticeable to others. I would bet that you are getting really close to her and specifically sniffing under her arms and you are overly sensitive to any little scent. If the dr is not concerned, then it's probably a normal thing. If it were a medical thing, there would be other symptoms, and the smell would be all over, not just localized to the armpits.
Hi E.. I remember a friend of mine told me that her mother uses lemon instead of deodorant. She grew up in South America and it was cheaper for them and to this day she still uses it. I'm sure after shaving it might burn a little but you don't have to worry about that with a baby. i'd def. ask a doctor first before doing it, I've never tried it myself. Good luck to you.
