Can you smell if your kids are getting sick?

[BanjoMango]

Just saw a random video of a woman that claimed that she could smell when her children were sick/ getting sick and apparently after a poll she said the results were 50/50.

So I thought what better place to ask than here?

An extra colleague of mine swore her dc's curly hair went straight when they were getting ill.

Two of my own have curly hair and I swear she had a point!

Haha ex not extra colleague!

100% and I can smell my husband when he is getting sick as well. There smell totally changes and within 24-48 hours I am proved right every single time.

Not remotely. But I can hear when either kid is about to vomit, about 2 seconds warning. I think I'm honed due to the oldest's severe reflux for the first year!

Before we relied so much on blood tests and x rays etc, smell was one of the major diagnostic tools. Physicians would smell breath, urine and body odour to help them detect disease or infection.

I have a fairly acute sense of smell, and I could always tell when a chap at work was going to have a resurgence of his rheumatoid arthritis. I also suspected a friend’s kidney malfunction by their smell ( not particularly unpleasant, but very distinctive). That was reinforced by their skin colour ( not racial, increased pallor with a yellowish tint).

Yes, their breath starts to smell.

only when they are little though, up to about 7.

That's what mine smelt like too.

Not at all. I don't think I've ever smelt a person and smelt anything other than washing powder or BO. I don't know what DC smell like generally let along if that were to change.

I never had the increased sense of smell that is common in pregnancy. Maybe it's related.

Me too - still can with adult DC and, more recently, with DH (who thinks it is my superpower - there are others I’d rather have!).

As others have said, it’s sort of metallic/doughy (yeasty? 🤢).

I’ve assumed it’s because a raised temp heightens ‘their’ smell and they’re the only two people I am hugging etc on a v regular basis so would therefore notice a change?

Yup.

Two of mine had severe reflux. I can hear their stomachs make sounds a few seconds before. gives me time to grab a towel. co sleep and not missed a puke yet!

Did it with 3 year old dd the other night.

Yes!! I thought it was just me! It's a musty kind of smell that is definitely associated with an impending illness. I'm curious to the pear drops smell - I have only ever known this particular smell with diabetic patients

Yes they smell sort of hot and sweet.

When they were younger their breath smelt of pear drops before they were ill, they're older teens/adults now so only catch it occasionally

Yes like a kind of bad morning breath smell, when they are starting to get sore throats and cough. They get little pink circles on their cheeks as well so as soon as I see those I just know.

I’m not the bio mum of my kids and was secondary carer for them and I could smell illness on them. Purely anecdotal evidence of course.

Yes every time! 🤢😷

Yup she starts smelling wrong

Yes. I can smell viruses on people. Not just my DC

Yes, it's when they're in ketosis I believe

No I can't smell it at all on anyone. I feel like there is something wrong with me now 🤣

Yes - I always wondered if other people can as it felt weird to ask.
I can always smell illness on my children’s breath. I can’t describe the smell but to me it’s very potent and usually smells the day before the illness appears.

Yes I could smell it on their breath and sweat.

Yes! On his breath!

I was carer for my DGM and could smell when she was becoming ill, so not just a parent-child thing.

Yes. Tonsillitis has one kind of smell, respiratory viruses have another. The latter is like pear drops, which I do associate with T1D, except that in my kids it goes away once the virus clears. I've mentioned this to a few hospital doctors and they've been surprised and unable to explain it. Does anyone know what/why it is?