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Original poster

Why does my baby have a smelly head?!

29 replies

hampshiremama · 26/10/2023 09:19

My LB (8 weeks) has a stinky head (I don't mind the smell but it is noticeable!), what could it be! He doesn't have cradle cap or dry/ flakey skin at all but google seems to think cradle cap is the only thing that can cause a smelly head sigh

My partner describes the smell as 'sweaty socks' but I think it's a bit of a vinegary smell, it only smells on the crown of his head not around the sides or at the front. We bath him with a hair wash every other day and I wash his neck folds etc every day so I don't think it can be milk residue (plus it's only on the very top of his head that it smells). Baby boy hasn't always had a stinky head, it's only in the last 2 weeks or so that I've noticed it!

What could it be?! Any suggestions, it's driving me nuts that I can figure out what's causing it😂

OP posts:

DuploTrain · 26/10/2023 09:20

Have you stopped breastfeeding? (Or introduced formula).
My baby’s smell changed as soon as I stopped.

DuploTrain · 26/10/2023 09:21

p.s. my DS still has cradle cap at age 2 and it doesn’t smell (you can’t see it now because he has hair but it’s still there).

Spinet · 26/10/2023 09:22

Probably fungal. You can buy lots of antifungal baby shampoos - give one a try and see if it goes away.

Original poster

hampshiremama · 26/10/2023 09:27

Spinet · 26/10/2023 09:22

Probably fungal. You can buy lots of antifungal baby shampoos - give one a try and see if it goes away.

Would there be any other symptoms with this? I can't see any signs of any sort of infection or anything it's just this strange smell!

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Original poster

hampshiremama · 26/10/2023 09:28

DuploTrain · 26/10/2023 09:20

Have you stopped breastfeeding? (Or introduced formula).
My baby’s smell changed as soon as I stopped.

I've always formula fed and haven't changed anything, I use Johnson's baby shampoo but have always used that too, it's super strange! Babys got hair but not so much that you can't see his scalp so I would be able to see if there were flakes on it etc and it looks totally fine, superrr strange!

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CyberCritical · 26/10/2023 09:29

Dd used to smell vinegary when she had a virus coming, I could always smell when she was getting Ill.

Ohdearwhatnow4 · 26/10/2023 09:31

Could be sweat, maybe from you or DH from when your snuggling him or if you or DH have longer hair from where you carry him and hair has been their.

Original poster

hampshiremama · 26/10/2023 09:36

I don't think it's a sign of illness as his head has been a bit smelly for a couple of weeks and he seems fine in himself, no signs of illness, it's baffling me!😂

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Original poster

hampshiremama · 26/10/2023 09:37

@Ohdearwhatnow4 i wondered if it could be a smell rubbing from me or DH, I do have quite long hair but it's usually up, DH does have a beard but I sniff checked it last night wondering if it could be him and it didn't have a smell to it! I suppose it still could be one of us though!

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Spinet · 26/10/2023 09:38

hampshiremama · 26/10/2023 09:27

Would there be any other symptoms with this? I can't see any signs of any sort of infection or anything it's just this strange smell!

Show quote history

I think not, but if you're treating with baby stuff that you can buy in the supermarket etc it can't hurt anyway. I haven't had a baby for quite a while but I do remember smelly head = fungal.

Rosiiee · 26/10/2023 09:41

Bit of a funny story but I have a friend whose mum said the same when she was a baby. She was quite a chubby baby and had many neck skin rolls. Turns out the milk used to drip down her chin and dry in her neck rolls and the smell used to be from that. All this to say maybe it’s not from his actual head but his neck.

Original poster

hampshiremama · 26/10/2023 09:45

@Spinet I will definitely give it a go, it can't hurt to try and if it is something fungal it's deffo better to treat it!

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Original poster

hampshiremama · 26/10/2023 09:46

@Rosiiee my baby is rather chubby as well, I do try and make sure I clean it his little rolls every morning but it could still be this! It's only really the very top of his head that smells though which is a bit strange!

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Redebs · 26/10/2023 10:03

Babies often do have a smell to their head. It's usually normal and is designed to aid bonding with mothers. It goes away after a few months.

If it's an unpleasant, yeasty smell, it can be due to skin microbes like fungi. A very dilute solution of bicarbonate of soda is good for this kind of issue. And maybe lay off the shampoo, which can upset the natural skin balance.

TravellingT · 26/10/2023 10:08

I would also say lay off the shampoo, if baby doesn't have much hair then water will do. Try a few water rinses, make sure you're drying the area including neck folds properly. You can speak to a pharmacist for fungal advice

LightSpeeds · 26/10/2023 10:19

Babies smell (usually lovely) from the vernix on their skins at birth. Mine continued to smell from this for a very long time after birth. Is it anything to do with this (maybe it's gone off 😂)?

MangoAF · 26/10/2023 10:21

DS1 has a smelly head, always has had and he’s 12 now. He washes with head and shoulders or a tea tree shampoo, otherwise his head/hair smells.

pinksavannah · 26/10/2023 10:26

My baby was the same !

Friends & family would smell my babies head and say how much they loved the smell of new babies , but for some reason to me it almost smelt 'cheesy'

My smell was super super heightened when pregnant
( I could tell you exactly what herbs were in a stew from something in the oven from 3 rooms away!! And I couldn't stand it)

and I think it was just from that, as it did start to fade once he got older

redglobox · 26/10/2023 10:28

I loved the smell of my babies' heads! Hard to describe but I still remember it now.

Original poster

hampshiremama · 26/10/2023 10:30

@redglobox I do as well, it did initially have that typical baby head smell but it's just certain patches of it now have a slightly vinegary smell, but it's not always been like that! Only in the last couple of weeks, the rest of his head still smells heavenly it's just a little patch around the crown that smells different

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Original poster

hampshiremama · 26/10/2023 12:47

@Redebs it's not the usual smell his head used to have, which was heaven! But it's not really yeasty either it's really difficult to describe!

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Original poster

hampshiremama · 26/10/2023 12:49

@LightSpeeds it's deffo not vernix that's all long gone now, when he still had that he did smell blooomin lovely! He smelt lovely right up until a couple of weeks ago, he still smells lovely to be fair but it's just some random patches on the top of his head that smell a bit odd! I sooo can't work it out it's so bizarre!

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Original poster

hampshiremama · 26/10/2023 12:50

@pinksavannah it could just us that smell it, my mum always says how lovely he smells, which he does but he has these random patches of his head which smell funny!

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Lavender14 · 26/10/2023 12:53

Ds had this when he was warm and a bit sweaty esp after a contact nap. I asked my hv and she said it's just normal sweat.

Original poster

hampshiremama · 26/10/2023 12:53

@Lavender14 ooo it could very well be this, DS has a lot of contact naps still!!

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