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General health

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Original poster

5 yr old with smelly armpits! (sorry!)

10 replies

Theresa · 25/04/2007 19:52

I've recently noticed my 5yr old son has slightly smelly pits! You can;t smel it if you are next to him or anything like that but sometimes if i lift him up by putting my hands kind of under his arms i'm aware of it and i noticed his footie top is just slightly pongy! I don;t regard it as a problem but is it normal? My 8 yr old daughter doesn't have this 'problem'. Maybe it's just a 'bloke' thing!

OP posts:

Anna8888 · 25/04/2007 19:58

My younger stepson (9) has had this problem for a couple of years. His mother took him to the dermatologist who said on no account to use deodorant as there was too great a cancer risk involved and just to make sure he washes very well every day (scrub under the arms with soap and a flannel in the bath or shower) and wears all cotton clothing.

Original poster

Theresa · 25/04/2007 20:24

Thanks

OP posts:

rabbleraiser · 25/04/2007 20:25

My ds had sweaty BO armpits when he was a new born! Lasted for a while, but it's gone away now. He still has smelly feet, though.

TinyGang · 25/04/2007 20:28

Interesting about the cancer risk and deodourant.

I've never been clear as to whether that was proven or not. Wonder if adults should be concerned too?

scatterbrain · 25/04/2007 20:32

My 6.5 yr old dd has just started to be smelly under her arms too ! I bought her a natural deodorant - Bionsen - with Japanese minerals and no aluminium in. PitRok is another one that is safe and recommended by GPs for children.

It's alumuminium in deodorants that is considered to be a cancer rick - it isn't conclusively proven though. My GP said it was fine to use non-aluminium deods on my dd.

Original poster

Theresa · 25/04/2007 21:27

thanks again folks. interesting, i really don't think we're at the deodrant stage yet. Is it 'normal' do we think. I think i sort of assumed that children's sweat didn't smell, or maybe that they didn't sweat much and that sort of thing arrived with puberty!

OP posts:

spudmasher · 25/04/2007 21:31

I also use Bionsen on my stinky DD aged 8 on doctors advice as it has no aluminium. Daily washing is best but she does do a lot of exercise so she does get a bit pongy. She smells like cornish pasties but I love her to bits.

pigsinmud · 25/04/2007 21:36

My ds1 has had this since last summer - when he turned 8. I thought it was a bit young. Like you I thought it was a puberty thing. He has always been a very sweaty boy - when playing football etc.. looks much hotter & stickier than the others. We haven't gone down the deodorant route and things are a bit better now he's in summer uniform. The problem I have is persuading him to have a shower every day. He's so anti-soap it's unbelievable! I don't want to say "Have a shower you stink" I can normally get him in the shower every other day and has a clean shirt every day.

Anna8888 · 25/04/2007 22:16

schilke - your son sounds just like my stepson - he spends so little time in the shower that he can't possibly wash enough. My partner sometimes gives him a bath and washes him really fiercely from head to toe... and sometimes we tell him he can't have anything to eat until he's washed properly

pigsinmud · 25/04/2007 22:28

Ooh I like the idea of withholding food - that might work .....

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