# Baby smells like vinegar



## mamajaillet (Jul 24, 2006)

My 7 month old smells like vinegar. It seems to be her head area, not really her breath, but her head and around her ears. Her poo, and she is ebf, has been smelling like this too lately. She does have a cold. I am just worried about what might be the cause of this, especially since we have digestive/allergy issues too. Any ideas from you wise mamas?


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## CorasMama (May 10, 2002)

When dd was a baby, there were two things that made her smell funky.

The one that most closely resembles what you're talking about was a sour, somewhat vinegar-y, but warmer smell, and that was when she had ear infections. She had recurring ear infections, eventually getting tubes in. About 90% of her ear infections were accompanied by that smell. And there was a direct and exact correlation btwn the smell, and when it was bacterial vs viral. I was an obsessive note-taker, and the infections that stank were helped by abx, and the ones that didn't, weren't helped by abx. The "smell test" was so reliable, that the drs knew if I said, "she has an ear infection, I can smell it," that I was right. It actually proved to be a useful diagnostic tool, because it let me know to get her to the dr right @ the start of each ear infection. With the nbr of ear infections she had, the drs were impressed w/ her total lack of hearing loss, and attribut it to early detection nearly every time. But I digress...

Also, once she was older, and started having cows milk, it made her head smell like rotten milk! That's how we discovered a dairy intolerance (not a lactose intolerance, btw) that eventually went away. But, until she was 5, -- boy, howdee! -- that stuff sure made her smell bad!

Also, you may try eliminating yeast. That's just an intuitive thought.


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## mamajaillet (Jul 24, 2006)

Thanks for your thoughts CorasMama!!

I wonder, because it does seem to come from the ear area as well, but she isn't really grumpy or pulling at her ears or anything. The cold seems to be on the mend, and she doesn't smell so bad today, so I bet it is related to an infection. Although it could be a food too, since we have those issues as well.

With this babe, I just wish so badly that we would have no weird smells, weird poo, skin patches, cradle cap....I just would love to be sypmtom free for a few days.


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## CorasMama (May 10, 2002)

Not all babies complain when they have and ear infection, btw. And ear infections frequently come as a cold is clearing up. (I know I sound like I'm pushing the ear infection idea. I'm not this is just fyi.) If the smell doesn't clear up in a couple of days, you might want to have her ears looked at.


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## RootBeerFloat (Nov 22, 2005)

Have you introduced any foods into either of your diets to which she could be allergic? My dd smelled strongly of vinegar for much of her first year due to reflux; it was especially bad around this age. Eliminating wheat and other forms of gluten helped us alot. And it was strange--it didn't come from her breath, it was her head, just like you describe.


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## Autumn Breeze (Nov 13, 2003)

How funny, (well sort of) While my dd was running a fever last week, she smelled like vinegar too.


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## mamajaillet (Jul 24, 2006)

Yes, I do think it had to do with infection, since it has subsided just as the worst of the cold did. We already avoid a number of foods due to allergy, and I don't think I had anything new or an accidental bit of anything we are not supposed to have. I wonder what on earth causes this?? It doesn't seem good, so I am glad it is gone.


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