The smell of acetone from the mouth of a child - recommendations

A strong smell of acetone from a child's mouth is a reason for parents to be concerned. This usually indicates certain health problems. The sooner they are identified, the better.

The smell of acetone from the mouth can be observed even in the smallest children

Where does acetone come from in the child's body

Children's and adult organisms are arranged almost identically. The carbohydrates absorbed by humans are digested in the stomach, resulting in glucose entering the bloodstream. Part of it is spent on energy, and the rest is deposited in the liver in the form of glycogen.

With significant energy costs (for example, stress, excessive physical exertion or illness), it is the liver that helps the body and releases a dose of glycogen into the blood. If liver reserves are good, the baby is safe. Otherwise, fats are released into the bloodstream. A certain amount of energy is formed in the process of their decay, but with them also ketones.

First of all, a high level of acetone in a child is detected in the urine. To determine its level, you should use special test strips or do a laboratory analysis. From urine, if nothing is done, ketone bodies enter the bloodstream. As a result, acetone begins to irritate the gastric mucosa, and acetone vomiting begins. The result is a real vicious circle: vomiting occurs due to a deficiency of glycogen in the liver, and carbohydrates cannot enter the body in sufficient quantities due to vomiting.

Reasons for the smell of acetone

There can be many reasons why a child smells acetone from the mouth. Most often, we are talking about the following points.

Improper nutrition

Acetone is an intermediate element involved in the breakdown of proteins or fats. If you do not maintain a normal diet, feeding the child with fatty and protein foods in large quantities, at some point the body will not cope, and the acetone content in the blood will rise, as a result, the child will begin to smell like acetone.

Acetone in urine can be determined using a special test strip

Fasting can also trigger acetone breath. If no food is ingested, there is a risk of developing ketoacidosis. Blood glucose is significantly reduced, and the child's body begins to look for ways to generate energy by breaking down fats and proteins from its own stores. As a result, a large amount of acetone elements appears in the blood, and the child smells of acetone from the mouth.

Intoxication

Sometimes the smell of acetone from the mouth of a child is explained by such a reason as intoxication of the body. Signs of intoxication are vomiting, diarrhea and headache. Any rotavirus can cause bad breath in a baby or young child. If the poisoning is promptly cured, the stink of acetone will cease immediately after the child's well-being improves.

It is much worse if intoxication is not the cause of acetone amber, but its consequence. Treatment in this case will require more serious and prolonged treatment.

Diseases

In some cases, the slight acetone odor is caused by disease. For example, a disease such as diabetes may be the cause. Due to an excess of sugar in the blood, the molecules of substances do not penetrate into the cells, which leads to ketocytosis, the symptoms of which include not only smell, but also pain in the abdominal cavity, dry mucous membranes, vomiting and even coma (if the syndrome is not treated in a timely manner) ...

Pathology

The aroma of acetone can be an indicator of pathologies of internal organs. First of all, the kidneys and liver. The designated internal organs are responsible for cleansing the body and removing harmful substances. In a pathological state, these processes slow down, and the body accumulates toxic substances, primarily acetone.

Nutrition adjustment

Whether it's a newborn or teenager, when acetone amber appears, the first thing to do is to rethink your diet. Every day, the child should drink at least one and a half liters of water. You will need to completely exclude from the diet fatty, protein foods, fresh pastries on yeast dough, milk and fresh fruits and vegetables. All food taken should be as easily digestible as possible: porridge on water, tea, crackers. After a while, it is permissible to start introducing fermented milk products and lean meat.

Diagnostics of the acetone syndrome

Acetonemic syndrome is detected exclusively in children under the age of 12 years. Its diagnosis is made through a medical examination. In order to make a conclusion, the doctor simultaneously studies the laboratory tests performed, as well as the patient's complaints and anamnesis.

Important! When diagnosing acetone syndrome, it is important to pay attention to those analyzes that show insignificant deviations from the norm.

When you urgently need to see a doctor

Not in every case, the smell of acetone from the mouth requires immediate medical attention. Sometimes it is enough to change the diet and increase the amount of fluid you drink to solve the problem. There are a number of symptoms that cannot be ignored in any case.

Strong acetone odor

If the smell of acetone emanates from the child is strong, this can only mean that not everything is smooth in the functioning of some organs. In this case, you cannot do without going to an appointment with a doctor. If acetone notes are felt not only from the mouth, but also from the skin, sweat and urine, an appeal to a doctor should be immediate.

You need to start fighting the smell of acetone from the mouth immediately after its detection

Other symptoms

You should make an appointment with a doctor even if the child's temperature starts to rise in parallel with the smell of acetone from the mouth, clear signs of intoxication, dizziness or abdominal pain appear. Only an experienced doctor will be able to understand why the problem has arisen and will prescribe adequate therapy. Self-medication is likely to lead to undesirable consequences.

The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky

Dr. Komarovsky does not consider the smell of acetone in children to be a disease. From his point of view, this is the specificity of metabolism that should be taken into account. As a preventive measure, it is enough not to restrict babies in sweets and provide them with plenty of drink.