What is this child's problem?

[klmama]

Assuming the mother is telling the truth about this, what do you think is the child's problem? http://www.wjhl.com/...or-smelling-bad I know a wonderful family with this same issue, and it's horrible to be anywhere near their dc when they get warm. It happens year round, but it's really bad in warm weather. We've even gone to the pool with them, so I know they were in the chlorine and showered, but just a few minutes of running around afterward made them smell like they hadn't bathed in weeks. The mom says it's just their body chemistry. If that's what it is, is there something they could eat or take that would help?

[SKL]

Hard to believe that a 2nd grader just bathed yesterday but does not remember doing so. That said . . . what about deodorant? My dd started "emitting an odor" when she was 4yo, and when she started 1st grade at 5yo I just set up our mornings to always include a wash and deodorant. We use Tom's, and while my dd has sensitive skin, she's never had any reaction to it. It seems that a daily bath coupled with deodorant ought to at least be tried.

[klmama]

I don't know what the child in the article does, but I know my friend has her dc bathe daily and use deodorant. It isn't a stinky armpit smell. It's coming from their whole bodies, and the smell is kind of stale and acrid at the same time.

[unsinkable]

Could it be an infection...down there...?

[HomeschoolingHearts&Minds]

It could be caused by an inability to break down choline or having too much of it in the diet :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choline

http://www.livestrong.com/article/86427-choline-side-effects/

 

I researched this years ago because one of my children has issues with body odor. It cropped up at the age of 4. No apparent medical issues.

 

In this case, what helps is avoiding all clothing made with synthetic fibers (a shirt with polyester will bring on the stink quickly) and unscented deodorant, so I doubt it's the choline thing, but it might apply in your case.

[melissad2]

nm

[Unicorn.]

It could be caused by an inability to break down choline or having too much of it in the diet :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choline

http://www.livestron...e-side-effects/

 

I researched this years ago because one of my children has issues with body odor. It cropped up at the age of 4. No apparent medical issues.

 

In this case, what helps is avoiding all clothing made with synthetic fibers (a shirt with polyester will bring on the stink quickly) and unscented deodorant, so I doubt it's the choline thing, but it might apply in your case.

 

My dd had this same problem at 4. I would pick her up from pre-k and she would STINK! I finally realized it only happened when she wore polyester/synthetic fibers. Of course, those are so very popular in the sports world. When she has to wear something like that now, she is quick to change as soon as she can, and wears cotton tees underneath if possible.

 

Reading the article, my immediate thought was "what clothes is the girl wearing?" And yes, it is believable that a 2nd grader won't remember the last time they bathed. My kids w/ ad/hd can set a cup down next to them, and when asked 30 seconds later where their cup is, they can't remember. Showers, chores, etc are the same. It's not important enough for them to keep track of.

[clarkacademy]

Mom's not being honest...

 

 

I have to disagree because we don't know that. My son has serious skin issues so do I. As a young child the doctor told my mother not to bathe me, the more soap I used the more blisters would form. This was back in the 70's. Imagine my shock when at 8 months old my sons skin started to look as if I boiled him in hot water using hypo allergenic stuff. My sisters produce some kind of chemical forget what it was but they have to use prescription stuff or they stink been that way since they were toddlers. If your not there don't judge you never know what people are going through. I would dare anyone to come in my mothers home and say her kids were not clean because she is OCD and we were not just bathed we were scrubbed. Never allowed to get dirty or go in nasty public pools. My poor mom who ran after us with a wash cloth almost had an emotional break down finding out the more she bathed us the worse we got.

[klmama]

You guys are great! I don't buy synthetics, so it wouldn't have occurred to me that type of clothing could be the problem. I have no idea what they wear, but maybe that's it. But would synthetic fibers make their heads smell bad, too?

[NorthwestMom]

No matter what, this is terribly sad. This child is going to be stigmatized at school for something she has no control over, no matter what the cause of the smell turns out to be. :sad: And her education is clearly being impacted by the repeated suspensions. I'm not sure how the school district can justify that.

[Annie G]

I read that there are multiple cats in the house. If the bedding, furniture, and floors are dirty, bathing isn't going to eliminate the problem. Sleeping in a smelly bed and wearing clothes that cats have slept on could quickly cancel out the effects of the bath. And if someone in the home smokes, that adds to the smell.

Back when smoking was allowed in buildings, my kids would come home from a 2 hour bowling party reeking of smoke and who knows what else. The smell stayed in their jackets for days.

 

It might not be a dirty house...maybe it's medical. But the kid is young- she can't fix this problem and needs help.

 

It's not the school's task to bathe the kid but suspending her over and over isn't helping her get educated and is likely leading her down the path to hating school. I hope they figure out a way to help her.

[Murphy101]

The article says DCS was involved and they did not open an investigation, so either it isn't a home issue or not a major home issue.

 

Regardless of why she smells, not smelling bad is not a requirement for being educated. Neither is wearing a diferent outfit to school everyday or having pajamas to sleep in. It's a suck it up buttercup situation for the school to my mind.

 

I doubt my 2nd grader could tell you what she had for breakfast, much less when her last bath was. Kids just don't think upon these things as momentous events.

 

Now from a parent perspective? I'd be giving my kid a bath every single day and trying really hard to afford more or better clothing and to keep up on the washing of it and either putting a low pleasant scented lotion all over them right after each bath or a baby powder rub down after their bath. And for all we know, the mother IS doing that as best she can. It doesn't say if the child is over weight or has other issues, tho it does say she has been seen by a dr, which can often be useless anyways.

 

It could be diet, which pending income might not be easily changed.

It could just be sweat chemistry. I have one son that stinks right out of the shower if he took one that was too hot. and he sweats in his sleep and wakes up needing a shower and and and. I kinda feel bad for him because he showers multiple times a day and wears paint peeling level deoderant. (seriously! my dh and another son wore that deoderant and it caused their skin to turn red and peel off!! :o)

It could be enviroment, clothing detergent.

It could be fear. Seriously, some people start to sweat a weird funky oder when extremely nervous or scared, which I would suspect of a little girl who might be getting made fun of and such.

 

IDK why she stinks and I am sure it is unpleasant, but that's no reason to suspend her.

 

It seems ridiculous to say that if a kid has a medical issue the class can figure out a way to endure it but if not the kids should be expelled? If the class can figure out a way to deal with the kid who has encomprisis or irritable bowels causing lots of gas or whatever, then they can deal with it for any other reason, yes?

 

Plus I have some level of issue with anyone being forced to disclose their medical info in order to get an education when it isn't directly related to whether than can do the math or read.

 

Should the school have to deal with bad oders? meh. I shouldn't have to deal with idiot drivers on the road, but look at me going about my day without any road rage or screaming for licenses to be revoked. *shrugs*

 

Mostly I feel worse for the kid than the school.

 

and I'm withholding my verdict on the mom, tho I'm jaded enough to suspect she's just as much an issue for the kid as the school.

[SKL]

I agree that it is wrong to send the child home over how she smells. I suppose they do that to show the mom they "mean business," but seriously. Get over it. What do they do in middle school where many kids don't realize that they now need deodorant?

[Lisa in SC]

The suspensions really bother me too. If the school suspects a problem at home, then that should be investigated, but it sounds as if that was done and no case was opened. A doctor was seen, and no medical issue was identified. So now, the little girl is continuing to be denied an education through frequent suspensions? That just seems illogical to me...not to mention unfair to the child.

 

Fwiw, my ds7 had a shower before bed last night. I just asked him when he last showered. He replied, "I don't know. You know I can't remember stuff like that, mama." So, it's definitely possible this little girl is being bathed regularly.

[Mommy22alyns]

Poor girl. I'm pretty sensitive to smells though, so I also feel for her teacher and classmates. My 2nd grader doesn't remember the last time she took a shower either - I don't think that's unusual for that age.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I have a stinky kid. This kid wreaks a good bit of the time. I find it offensive myself. I worry about what other people think. At the same time, we do what we can and it is what it is. I would think sending the child home is a real issue. If the child smells, it isn't like other people can catch that. I understand sending a kid home for 42 days due to lice. 24 times for smelling bad, I don't. Deal.

[Tap]

Ds18 has Gilbert's syndrome. His liver doesn't function quite right and he gets jaundice a few times a year. There are factors that contribute, most often stress or lack of sleep for him.

 

When he has jaundice, I can smell it before I see it in his eyes. He gets a putrid, musty smell to him. I worked in an innercity pharmacy and helped many homeless people. This smell would rival them. You would have to be fairly close to him to smell it (ie riding in a car) but if you did..... :svengo: it is truely horrible.

 

I can absolutely see how the child could become a problem to teachers/students. Ds18 has never been sent home over it, but I guess a smelly teenager would be more expected than a smelly little kid. Ds was a competative swimmer at the time, so I know he was clean. Bathing doesn't alter the smell, it just has to process out of his pores, usually in 24 hours.

 

The odor isn't a common complaint with Gilberts but it does occur. Ironically, his high levels of billirubin also affect his memory/mental cognitive abilty so I could see him not remembering something like a bath also.

 

 

 

I am glad a pediatricitan is getting involved. There are several medical conditions that can result in odors.

[Tap]

I had a relative that stunk at that age. The issue was the clothing, shoes, and the bathing frequency & quality. The child was dressed in synthetics, did not change daily bc the parents had not provided sufficient clothing, and only had one pair of shoes, which were vinyl. If he took the shoes off in your house, the stink would be there 24 hours later, even with the windows open and the shoes removed after the first hour. The bathing frequency was insufficient, and the mother was not giving him enough product to clean his hair or body when she did allow him to bathe.

 

 

DD6 has horrible foot odor too. She HAS to wear socks in her shoes and can only wear natural fibers. If she skips socks and if the shoes get the funk started in them, I pretty much have to toss them. Even washing in bleach won't make it go away. She is very clean but her feet emit an odor that can clear a room.

[AmyontheFarm]

My son smells like maple syrup. If he had smelt like maple syrup when he was an infant they would assume he had Maple Syrup Syndrome but because he didn't present this until he was much older then don't know why his body will smell like this. I do know that if he is placed on a vegetarian diet he starts to smell really quickly. So, dr wants him on a slightly higher protein diet than normal which suits my carnivore son just fine.

 

If the child is washing and if mom is washing the clothes, etc then the school should NOT be suspending the child. Frankly, if the mother isn't making the child wash and isn't cleaning the child's clothes then she should be charged with child abuse. Because all this fuss is affecting the child emotionally and socially. And we ALL KNOW that schools are the best place for a child to be socialized. :leaving:

[Ghee]

There are cats in the house? We once called DTF in because we thought a child's backpack smelled like Meth. One whiff and he said, "That's not Meth. It's close to the smell, but that is CAT P***!" He said it's a common mistake in schools (ewww). When we asked the little girl if she had cats in the house, she said "Oh yes, a bunch of 'em." She said that they "Played" all over her clothes and stuff in her room (read - peed on). I would bet dollars to donuts that smell is cat urine, either actually absorbed into the clothing or just acting as an "air freshner" and attaching itself to everything/one in the house.

[Anne in CA]

The girl's mother may be unwilling to get rid of her pets or clean up after them. My father would choose his animals over his kids, hands down, lol. Some people are not rational at all about their pets.