Why does a baby or a child older than a year have an unpleasant pungent odor? Why does my child's urine smell strongly?

Parents pay special attention to the health of their children. Therefore, any changes in well-being do not go unnoticed. But sometimes health problems are indicated not by obvious violations, but by hidden symptoms. These may include changes in the condition of the skin and hair, certain behavioral disorders, deterioration in the quality of sleep, etc. Also, one of the important criteria for health is the normal color and smell of discharge. If you notice an unusual smell of urine in a child, the reasons for its appearance should be of paramount importance to you. Having identified them, you will find out what to do and how to treat your baby.

If changes in the color and smell of urine are of a one-time nature, this usually does not cause any questions from parents. After all, such a phenomenon most likely indicates some natural changes in the diet or not particularly significant disruptions in the activity of the genitourinary system. However, if changes in the smell of urine occur systematically or are observed over several days, it may be worth consulting a doctor.

Strange smell - known causes

Noticeable smell of ammonia

If the child's urine emits a noticeable smell of ammonia, it is worth checking the baby for and for acetonemia. It is worth noting that with diabetes, urine can also smell of apple cider vinegar or ammonia. But the development of such a disease is usually supplemented by other health disorders, for example, increased thirst, weight loss, dryness. skin, urinary frequency disorders, etc. In addition, sometimes the smell of ammonia from urine is a symptom of urinary tract infection.

Urine smells like acetone

If the child's urine emits a subtle or strong smell of acetone, it means that it contains quite a lot of ketone bodies. A similar situation usually occurs with an increase in the amount of ketones in the blood. An increase in the level of acetone can be triggered by emotional or physical stress. And if you have already encountered such a problem with a baby, make sure that he does not starve and does not overwork. If the child is tired, give him something sweet to prevent ketones from entering the urine and blood.

Urine smells like stale fish

Sometimes urine in children emits a characteristic unpleasant odor that resembles rotten fish. Similar symptoms are characteristic of trimethylaminuria. A similar smell in a child indicates the presence of a genetic disease. With such a disease, the amount of trimethylamine in the body increases, and a fishy smell comes from the skin, sweat, exhaled air and urine.

There are other genetic pathologies in which there is a change in the natural smell of urine. So, with phenylketonuria, the secretions smell like mold or mice, with leucinosis - burnt sugar, and with tyrosinemia - cabbage. But, it is worth noting that all these conditions cause other changes in the well-being of the child.

Another reason why urine smells unusual is the reasons for the household plan:

Sometimes the pungent odor and darkening of the urine is due to changes in the water balance, which is possible with insufficient fluid intake or with its intensive loss by the body, for example, with vomiting, fever, or in the heat. Another similar situation is observed at .

The urine of starving children, as well as those who eat improperly or eat certain foods (for example, horseradish, garlic, cabbage or asparagus) has a sharp and unpleasant odor. At an early age, urine can change odor when new foods are introduced or when formula is changed to a new variant.

Urine also begins to smell different (and sometimes quite unpleasant) if the child takes some kind of medication, such as antibiotics.

In young children, the unpleasant smell of urine can be explained by a poor-quality diaper, stale linen, and even rickets, which is quite rare today (occurs when there is a shortage).

In adolescents, the pungent smell of urine can be a symptom of hormonal changes.

Also, a similar phenomenon can be explained by a variety of infectious lesions of the excretory system, represented by cystitis, urethritis, pyelonephritis, etc. And with urine, it not only smells rather unpleasant, but also turns dark (almost brown tones).

If the child's urine smells - what should parents do?

Having found a specific pungent smell of urine in a child, you need to carefully analyze the features of his diet and drinking regimen recently. If there are no visible factors that can cause such symptoms, and if it is observed for several days, it is worth making an appointment with a pediatrician as soon as possible and passing general blood and urine tests. It is extremely important to examine the urine for sugar levels.

If your urine smells like acetone, get special test strips from your nearest pharmacy and conduct an appropriate study. If it gives a positive result, give the baby glucose and call the doctor at home. As a source of glucose, you can use glucose in ampoules or tablets, a decoction of raisins or tea with honey.

In the event that the urine has acquired a pungent odor against the background of high temperature, vomiting, diarrhea and other factors that cause dehydration, it is necessary to drink the baby - let him drink as often as possible in small portions.

If the appearance of a specific smell of urine is accompanied by severe disturbances in well-being, call a doctor as soon as possible or go to the clinic yourself. The editors of the magazine "Popular about Health" believes that it is better to play it safe and make sure that the baby's health is normal.

The urine of a newborn baby smells almost nothing and has almost no color. As the baby grows older, with the start of the introduction of complementary foods and beyond, the crumbs' stools will gradually change, becoming more and more similar to adults both in appearance and smell.

Nevertheless, even in an adult, normal urine has a subtle, specific “flavor” characteristic of it. Therefore, it is not surprising that when a child has a sharp unpleasant smell of urine, parents begin to worry and look for the reasons for such changes.

It should be recognized that this manifestation cannot be ignored. On the other hand, you should not jump to conclusions: sometimes urine smells unpleasant even in a completely healthy child.

It is safe to say that if the urine smells strongly of ammonia, then there are health problems. But with the same symptom, it can be different diseases. First of all, it is necessary to exclude acetonemia and diabetes mellitus.

It will be most reliable to pass the appropriate blood and urine tests - general and for sugar. An elevated level of acetone in the urine is easy to determine at home. To do this, the pharmacy sells very simple and convenient test strips: you should dip such a strip into urine and find out the test result by changing its color.

Acetone in the urine of a child appears when toxic substances are formed in the body. This can happen for a wide range of reasons, including even physical overwork and emotional stress. Therefore, if your baby is very tired or worried, offer him sweets in order to avoid the formation of ketone bodies, that is, the appearance of acetone. A decoction of raisins, a glucose solution, tea with honey is best suited for these purposes, it is convenient to have glucose tablets on hand, but if there is nothing like that, then the candy is quite suitable. In the same way (to give the baby glucose) it is necessary to act if the child's urine smells strongly of ammonia.

An analysis for sugar must be done urgently if there are diabetics among the immediate family.

In this case, the child's urine may smell like ammonia or apple cider vinegar, and other accompanying symptoms also appear: intense thirst, dry skin and mucous membranes, weight loss, disturbances in the usual urination regimen, etc.

The strong smell of acetone in the urine is evidence of the development of an infection in the genitourinary tract. Most often, cystitis or pyelonephritis is found in children. A bad smell appears due to the development of bacteria and their metabolic products in the urine. It can be not only ammonia, but also resemble a pharmaceutical, chemical smell of medicines. And in this case, a urine test is also necessary.

The sharp smell of urine in a child: other causes

There are a number of serious diseases in which urine often acquires a strong, sharp, unpleasant odor. So, urine smells like rotten fish or cabbage with tyrosinemia or trimethylaminuria, mice or mold - with phenylketonuria, burnt sugar - with leucinosis, also called wedge syrup disease. These are all conditions associated with metabolic disorders. But in children, such ailments are found infrequently, and usually they appear already from birth.

In most cases, the strong smell of urine in a child has other causes. One of the most common is a violation of the water balance in the body, that is, insufficient intake of fluid into it. Most often this occurs in the summer, during a period of extreme heat, when the child sweats, loses a lot of fluid, but does not replenish its supply. Urine becomes more concentrated, darker, smells unpleasant. After the restoration of the water balance (it is necessary to give the child more to drink), the problem disappears on its own. By the way, even an exclusively breastfed infant may not have enough water in the diet: then it needs to be supplemented. It should be mentioned that for the same reason, the urine has a pungent odor when the child is sick: with vomiting or diarrhea, runny nose with difficulty in nasal breathing, high fever, taking antibiotics and some other medicines.

The color and smell of urine largely depends on the diet. One of the reasons for the appearance of "ambre" may even be hunger. There are also products that can affect the composition of urine. It has been observed that it acquires a stronger smell when eating fatty protein foods, seafood, sweet, spicy, fast food, as well as after eating green beans, cabbage, garlic, horseradish. It is perfectly normal if the smell of urine changes in an infant when complementary foods are introduced into his diet or when changing milk formula. The smell of children's feces is also affected by the diet of a nursing mother.

It is not scary if the urine smells unpleasant only in the morning, after the night, and the smell comes from a filled diaper. It is possible, by the way, that the reason lies in poor-quality diapers or poorly washed linen. If a sharp unpleasant odor comes from the pot immediately after fresh urination, then you need to look for the cause. Especially if this phenomenon is persistent (lasts more than three days) or recurs regularly, and did not happen only once.

If the urine of a child up to a year old stinks, which, moreover, sleeps poorly, has no appetite, sweats in the palms and feet, then most likely he lacks vitamin D due to rickets.

Very often, urine in children and adolescents begins to stink during periods of hormonal changes. This is temporary and passing, but parents are obliged to accustom their children to thorough hygiene and proper body care, leveling unpleasant human odors.

In general, in order not to speculate, it is best to take urine and blood tests and make sure that the child's health is normal. Show it to your doctor immediately if your child has a strong smell of urine and a burning sensation in the genital tract, pain when urinating, discharge, cloudy urine, fever, or other signs of illness. If necessary, the doctor will give a referral for additional studies (analysis for culture, acetone, sugar, etc.).

Especially for - Elena Semenova

Newborn babies, feeding only on mother's milk, pee up to 25 times a day, their urine has almost no smell. When the baby begins to receive complementary foods, the urine gradually acquires a characteristic aroma. The older the child gets, the more the bladder discharge smells like that of an adult. So, the urine of a baby and someone who is already 2 years old will be very different in smell.

Urine has characteristic physical properties:

color;
transparency;
smell;
density.

Normally, urine in children smells specific, but not sharp, this smell does not cause discomfort. Dr. Komarovsky writes that some diseases can change the smell of urine, especially diabetes mellitus, in the presence of which the discharge acquires a fruity aroma.

smell of ammonia

The pungent smell of urine in a child causes anxiety in parents, especially if the aroma of ammonia is clearly audible. The first step is to exclude diabetes mellitus by passing a blood test for glucose. If the baby is tormented by constant thirst, his skin becomes dry, he loses weight, be sure to check the child with a specialist.

The smell of acetone

Urine stinks of acetone if there are a lot of ketone bodies in the blood, which then enter it and are excreted from the body. This phenomenon is called ketonuria. The cause of this disease can be:

stress;
significant physical activity;
long pause in nutrition;
dehydration.

Especially often children at the age of 2-3 suffer from ketonuria, growing up, the child is less susceptible to it.

To avoid the appearance of acetone in the urine, protect the child from large emotional shocks, do not allow great physical exertion, follow the diet and drink. Komarovsky advises parents to give their child a sweet drink if they see that the child is in danger of ketonuria, or if it has already begun.

If you have suspicions, buy test strips at the pharmacy that will confirm or refute the presence of the disease.

An unpleasant fishy smell has urine in people with a genetic disease - trimethylaminuria. With this ailment, the discharge (sweat, exhaled air, urine) smells like fish. This smell accompanies a sick person all his life.

Also, a genetic failure (tyrosinemia) is due to the cabbage smell of urine. Phenylketonuria is indicated by the smell of mold and mice. The urine of a patient with leucinosis smells of burnt sugar.

Factors affecting the change in the smell of urine:

Violation of the drinking regime. If the child drinks less than usual, or loses fluid through sweat in hot weather, or vomits when the stool is upset, the urine becomes concentrated and smells stronger. Make sure your baby gets enough fluids and everything will be fine.
Food. The smell of urine directly depends on what the child ate. It smells unpleasant in a child who is allowed to eat fast food, too fatty and sweet food. Seafood, horseradish, garlic, cabbage, asparagus also change the smell of urine. Violations in the diet of a nursing mother also affect the aroma of the urine of an infant.
Taking medication. Some medicines can change the smell and color of urine, usually this is indicated in the instructions. Most often, antibiotics have such a side effect, because they radically change the microflora of the body.
Wrong diaper. Children's skin is very sensitive, so not every brand of diapers is suitable for a particular child. If in the morning, when changing a diaper, you hear an unpleasant odor, first change the manufacturer.
Rickets. In children under the age of one, a lack of vitamin D can affect the change in the smell of urine. Other symptoms will also be present: sweating of the palms, restless sleep, poor appetite and others.
Infections of the genitourinary system. Cystitis, urethritis, pyelonephritis and other diseases sometimes cause parents to detect changes in the smell of the child's urine.
Diabetes. In patients with this diagnosis, urine becomes discolored, the number of urination increases, and the smell resembles that of ammonia or apple cider vinegar.
Hepatitis. Parents notice not only the unpleasant smell of children's urine, but also its dark color.

What should parents do if they notice an unusual smell of urine in a child?

If you heard a strange smell from the discharge in the morning, and in the evening you don’t catch anything, then you don’t need to worry. Most likely, the child ate something that affected the smell of urine, or drank little liquid. Follow the baby couple of days to make sure everything is ok.

But when you regularly notice the unpleasant odor of the child's urine and see changes in the color of the discharge, then do not ignore this fact. Show the child to the pediatrician for insurance. He will direct you to tests (urine and blood) and, at the slightest suspicion, will advise you to contact narrow specialists.

As you can see, the smell of urine can be both harmless and signal serious health problems. Be aware of these changes!

In a healthy newborn baby, urine is practically colorless. The smell is light or almost absent. Then, month after month, the baby's body begins to work at full strength and the discharge becomes more "adult" in appearance, color and smell. Changes become noticeable already at the beginning of the transition from breastfeeding to artificial feeding.

The urine of adults also has a light, well-recognized smell. Any deviation from this norm, for example, the appearance of a pronounced unpleasant odor, a change in color or transparency, is a reasonable cause for concern for parents. If the baby's urine smells - it's time to see a doctor who will find the cause of this manifestation.

For newborns and older babies, a straw-yellowish color of urine with a subtle odor is considered normal. The presence of ammonia and sour shades or a pronounced smell of acetone is unacceptable. The reason for the change in smell and color can be certain products: citrus fruits, carrots, currants, natural vegetable and fruit juices. After some time, after the removal of these natural dyes from the body, all characteristics return to normal.

Straw-yellowish color of urine with a subtle odor is considered normal.

Persistent deviations in color and smell from the norm (more than 3 days) indicate the need to visit a pediatrician for a consultation.

Possible causes of impaired daily diuresis can be:

lack of vitamin D;
diabetes;
body dehydration;
urinary infections;
acetonemia;
unbalanced diet.

Urine smells like ammonia

The appearance of a characteristic ammonia amber in children's urine is a clear sign of health problems in the baby and a signal for parents to urgently visit a pediatrician. And, although this symptom occurs quite often, the diagnosis is difficult due to a large number of possible diseases:

diabetes;
general intoxication of the body;
acetonemia;
cystitis;
viral diseases;
pyelonephritis.

The unpleasant smell of ammonia can indicate a number of diseases.

Acetone in the urine of a baby

A critical decrease in glucose levels in children causes an activation of the breakdown of fats and leads to the release of ketone bodies (the generalized name for beta-hydroxybutyric and acetoacetic acids, as well as acetone) with urine and breath. A feature of the child's body is small, in comparison with adults, sugar reserves in the liver, which, under conditions of malnutrition, frequent stress, physical exertion and carbohydrate deficiency, can lead to an increase in the level of ketones in the urine (acetone).

If you smell acetone, you need to test for the presence of ketones in the urine

Preventive measures:

normalization of nutrition;
calm environment;
adequate physical activity;
sweets in the diet.

Rotten fish smell

A serious cause for concern should be the fishy smell coming from the fresh urine of the baby, especially when it is present in both exhaled air and skin secretions. These symptoms may be a sign of trimethylaminuria, a genetically determined metabolic disorder in the body. The reason for this pathology lies in the excess of trimethylamine, which is the source of the fishy smell. An important role in the treatment of this rare disease is played by the correct choice of dietary nutrition.

What caused the change in the smell of urine (reasons and factors):

Violation of the absorption and excretion of water in the body. Insufficient daily water intake or its loss by the body in the heat and due to vomiting. Runny nose or other causes of difficulty breathing through the nose.
Switching to a different diet. Frequent consumption of spicy, high-fat and protein-rich foods, catering dishes is one of the possible reasons for the appearance of a pungent odor. Adding certain vegetables to the diet leads to a similar result: garlic, cabbage, horseradish, asparagus. Nursing mothers should monitor their diet to avoid its impact on the health of the baby.
Metabolic disorders in the body. The reason is the presence of diseases of a genetic nature.
The use of drugs, including antibiotics.
The use of low-quality hygiene products (diapers, diapers). As a result - an unpleasant morning amber.
Vitamin D deficiency (rickets). Under one year of age, it can cause bad urine odor, reduced sleep quality, decreased appetite, and other symptoms of beriberi D.
Changes in the body during puberty. Hormonal rampage is a difficult period for teenagers. It is important to teach them hygiene lessons and the basics of caring for your body in a timely manner.
Diseases of the genitourinary system. Inflammatory processes in the disease with urethritis, pyelonephritis, cystitis is another reason for changing the smell of urine.
Diabetes. It is characterized by abundant excretion of urine with a characteristic ammonia odor.
Diseases of the liver. Darkening of color and worsening of smell.

Changes in the smell of urine may signal health problems

The smell of urine in a baby is not the only indicator of a state of health. You should also pay attention to the color of the urine in the baby. In newborns, the color of urine has its own characteristics. In the first months of life, it is light and transparently clean. As it matures, it tends to a yellow tint. Monitoring its changes is an important part of parental care for the health of the crumbs.

Watch not only for the smell, but also for the color of urine

An insufficient amount of liquid leads to an increase in the concentration of salts in the stool, which causes a change in color towards its concentration and leads to irritation of the skin. Having found sharp changes in color, transparency and concentration, hurry to see a doctor to find out the reasons.

yellow urine in breast

The yellowish hue of the biological fluid is given by the substance bilirubin, which is produced by the liver and passes into urobilin during metabolism.

With age, the diet of baby food changes, which entails a change in the color of urine - it becomes more saturated. It is also impossible to discard the influence of products and various drugs on discoloration. So, to go from transparent yellow to orange or bright red, it is enough to eat carrots or beets.

Yellowish attached to the substance bilirubin

A dark yellow hue may be a sign of the presence of the following diseases in the first months of a baby's life:

increased concentration of bile pigments;
dehydration of the body (as a result of infectious diseases of the intestine or indigestion);
liver diseases.

Orange urine in a newborn

If the child's urine turns orange, a visit to the doctor is inevitable, since this is one of the signs:

high content of oxalate salts;
high body temperature;
diarrhea
insufficient supply of water to the body;
vomiting.

If your baby's urine is orange, you should see a doctor.

In the first days and months of life, the immune system of babies is not yet ready to withstand the effects of pathogenic factors. The urinary system and its components - the kidneys, bladder, urethra - are particularly affected and often affected by viral, fungal and bacterial infections. This leads to kidney diseases such as pyelonephritis, urinary canal - urethritis, bladder - cystitis.

Pyelonephritis

An infectious disease in which microorganisms and bacteria affect the pelvicalyceal system of the kidneys, and sometimes all the tissues of the kidneys. In early childhood in infants, the symptoms are especially acute.

Like any inflammatory process, pyelonephritis is accompanied by:

an increase in temperature (up to 39-40 ° C) without signs of a cold;
darkening of urine and the appearance of a pungent odor;
changes in normal urine volumes;
fractional urination.

Pyelonephritis is characterized by a high temperature

In newborns, violations are signaled by frequent regurgitation, stool disorders, and a lag in weight gain. One of the common symptoms is pain in the lumbar region and lower abdomen, but they are difficult to identify in small children, because they still cannot articulate their feelings accurately.

Features of the disease in children under one year old - the appearance of complex symptoms or asymptomatic course. Diagnosing the disease is quite difficult, so increased attention to the health of infants is especially important.

Cystitis

The disease is caused by the penetration of pathogens and bacteria into the urinary system, either from the kidneys or intestines (ascending path), from the urethra (descending). This leads to inflammation of the lining of the bladder.

Cystitis is characterized by signs of intoxication

It mainly proceeds as a concomitant of pyelonephritis or urethritis, with the difference that the symptoms are not so pronounced.

urine cloudy, dark, with flakes of mucus and a nasty smell;
false urge to urinate or, conversely, urinary incontinence;
in infants - refusal of food, tearfulness, restless behavior;
the appearance of pain and pain during urination;
signs of intoxication - high temperature, fever.

Urethritis

Inflammatory disease of the mucous membrane of the urethra (urethra). By its nature, it can be both infectious and non-infectious. Boys suffer from urethritis more often than girls (differences in the structure of the urination system).

In boys, the disease is associated with the anatomical features of the structure of the genitourinary system and is accompanied by a burning sensation during urination, characteristic white discharge, decreased urine transparency, and itching in the penis.

Girls have pain in the lower abdomen, frequent urination, itching in the external genitalia.

Urethritis is characterized by frequent urination

It should be noted that infectious diseases in young children are fraught with serious complications for the genitourinary system and for reproductive function in the future, which means that parents should immediately take measures to identify the disease and seek help from a pediatrician in a timely manner.

Vitamin D deficiency

The role of vitamin D in the formation of the skeletal system and teeth cannot be overestimated. It helps the absorption of calcium and magnesium, providing bone strength, regulates the content of phosphorus and calcium in the blood, improves immunity, and participates in the metabolism of amino acids.

Vitamin D deficiency can also change the smell of urine

The pronounced smell of ammonia in the urine is evidence of a deficiency of this vitamin in the body. The reason is the abnormally rapid breakdown of amino acids and, as a result, the formation of excess ammonia. Normally, ammonia is excreted from the body with water, and with a lack of vitamin D, its excess leads to a change in the color and smell of urine with the formation of symptoms of intoxication, bad breath, dark spots under the eyes.

A disease state manifested by glucose "starvation" of the cells of the body.

In a child's body, glycogen stores in the liver and muscles are often not enough to meet the high energy demands of the body, and there are no active enzymes to break down ketone bodies, which can also serve as an energy source, which leads to their accumulation. The rate of excretion of ketones in the urine and breath is lower than the rate of their synthesis, resulting in the appearance of symptoms of the disorder.

When acetonemia is characterized by a weakening of the body, nausea and vomiting

Characteristic manifestations:

urine with the smell of acetone;
stable high temperature;
unhealthy pallor of the skin, blush on the cheeks;
weakening of the body, tearful mood, irritability;
dry skin and mucous membranes;
acidosis, vomiting.

Diabetes

One of the important reasons for the appearance of a sweetish shade of acetone in children's urine may be the development of type 1 diabetes. Violation of insulin production leads to the impossibility of utilizing glucose by the body, which forces it to proceed to the restoration of energy reserves due to the metabolism of fats and, as a result, the accumulation of ketone bodies toxic to it.

The development of diabetes in a child will also affect the quality of urine

This disease affects people of all age categories, however, in most cases these are children and young people under thirty years of age. Recognizing the symptoms of the disease in a timely manner means getting medical help in time and avoiding serious consequences. After all, insulin injections for children with type 1 diabetes are a daily necessity.

Baby food and the role of water

Parents often underestimate the importance of a balanced diet for children. The abundance in the diet of sweet and spicy foods, garlic, asparagus and cabbage, seafood has a bad effect on the digestive system, causes changes in the color and smell of urine and can cause an allergic reaction.

Keep track of your child's water balance

Water is the basis of the human body and its lack can lead to serious consequences. With water, metabolic products are excreted from the body, when it is not enough, it malfunctions - the concentration of toxic substances in the urine increases, changing its color and "aroma". Babies do not know anything about this and may not drink water for a long time. The task of parents is to remember the observance of the water regime and offer children to drink water during the day.

Parents' actions for the benefit of children's health

The baby's immune system is just beginning to form. In the first year of life, his health depends on the prompt action of his parents in emergency situations. Having found negative changes in the urine, you should not postpone a visit to the doctor. Inspection, appointment and conduct of blood and urine tests will allow timely diagnosis of acetonemia and diabetes mellitus.

Having made a diagnosis, the doctor will make prescriptions, the strict implementation of which will help the child become healthy again. It can be medicines, a special diet that facilitates the functioning of the kidneys, or both.

Without the recommendations of a doctor, you should not treat the baby with folk methods - this can be harmful and aggravate the situation, since parents cannot know about all the side and negative effects of using this or that remedy.

If there is a steady change in the aroma of urine, it is urgent to go to see a pediatrician. There are a lot of factors that can lead to such an effect, so diagnosis is the first step to understanding the causes of the disease, and, therefore, to its successful treatment. Self-administration of medications and choosing a diet is not the best way to help a baby.

The smell of a child's urine is an indicator of the state of his body. Normally, it should be weakly expressed or absent altogether. If you notice changes - strange discharge, a strong smell of acetone, fish or other foreign substances, you should think about possible causes. What changes in urine can tell about and what needs to be done to prevent the baby from worsening, every parent should know.

What is the normal smell of urine in a child?

Urine in children should smell weak, without impurities, and the smell of urine in infants may be completely absent. The expansion of the children's diet leads to the appearance of a subtle, soft, unobtrusive smell. As a rule, urine begins to smell from 5-6 months, with artificial feeding - earlier. Until the child can independently report what is bothering him, you need to be especially careful to monitor any deviations.

If you notice that urine smells sharp and unpleasant, you should immediately contact your pediatrician, even if there are no other symptoms. At the initial stage, this may be the only manifestation of pathology. Timely diagnosis of the disease will avoid expensive treatment and potent drugs. Do not be shy to tell the doctor such things - when it comes to the health of the child, it is better to play it safe.

Why can the smell of urine change?

This article talks about typical ways to solve your questions, but each case is unique! If you want to know from me how to solve exactly your problem - ask your question. It's fast and free!

The urine of the child smells due to ammonia. Normally, when it enters the pot, the “aroma” is weakly expressed and intensifies as you stay outdoors. If a pungent odor appeared immediately after getting into a pot or diaper, there may be several reasons:

the appearance of new products in the diet;
long-term medication;
pathologies of a different nature.

The introduction of new foods into complementary foods can cause a change in the smell of urine

Before sounding the alarm, you need to think about which of the factors took place in your situation. If food is the cause, adjust your diet. You can find out if the pungent smell of urine in a child has become a side effect of taking medications in the official instructions for the drug. The absence of the first two factors indicates that you are faced with a disease.

With the development of pathologies, urine may smell:

acetone;
fish;
mice (mold);
beer (see also:);
ammonia;
hydrogen sulfide;
pus.

At the baby

In infants, urine is colorless and odorless. As the crumbs grow and the introduction of complementary foods, ammonia accumulates, and urine more and more resembles an adult.

The appearance of a strong smell of ammonia in infancy signals danger. The cause of the pathology may be a violation of the nursing mother's special diet, heredity or the development of acquired diseases.

From the foregoing, it follows that the urine of the child begins to smell for various reasons, and parents need to find out why. Follow the behavior of the baby: does he feel discomfort, is he naughty? Expert advice will not be superfluous. If temperature, loss of appetite and pain are added to the unpleasant odor, call an ambulance.

In children older than one year and adolescents

In the process of growing up (at 1-2 years old), the baby gets acquainted with a variety of products, and parents immediately begin to notice that the child's urine from the age of one year becomes yellower and acquires a specific smell, especially noticeable when it gets on the fabric. The reasons for the ammonia smell of baby urine can be:

excessive consumption of carbohydrate or protein foods;
lack of useful macronutrients in the daily diet;
dehydration;
eating foods containing chemical components (flavor and odor enhancers, preservatives, etc.).

In adolescence, urine can become smelly during the period of hormonal adjustment, with severe physical overwork. Parents need to accustom the child to careful intimate hygiene. In the case when urine smells like acetone or there is a temperature, a burning sensation is felt in the urinary tract, you should immediately go for a diagnosis.

If other unpleasant symptoms are added to the unpleasant smell of urine, the child must be shown to the attending physician

What diseases are indicated by an unpleasant odor?

Our table will help to understand the causes of an unpleasant symptom:

The nature of the smell	Causes	Possible diagnoses
Acetone	Due to an increase in the blood of acetone bodies with an insufficient amount of carbohydrates in the body. In the absence of pathology, it resolves on its own after adjusting the diet	diabetes; stenosis of the digestive system; heavy metal poisoning
Ammonia	High concentration of ammonia due to pathology of the urinary system	pyelonephritis; dehydration; urethritis; cystitis; cancer tumor; systemic diseases
Rotten eggs (hydrogen sulfide)	Consequence of heartburn, occurs with excessive use of spicy or alcoholic products	pyelonephritis; liver failure; inflammation of the urinary system
Chemical	An increase in the concentration of chemical elements in the blood	poisoning with household chemicals; drug overdose; diabetes
mouse	Poor blood clotting	phenylketonuria
Fish	Fermentation in the intestines	trimethylaminuria
beer	malabsorption of food	hypermethioninemia; liver failure
Purulent	The presence of pus	acute urethritis; acute cystitis; fistula.
Fecal	Poor hygiene	-

Diagnosis of pathology in a child

In order to find out the causes of the bad smell of urine, you need to seek help from a medical institution. There are two types of diagnostics: laboratory and instrumental. The first type of check means the study of body fluids for the presence of specific signs of pathologies in them.

Ultrasound examination of the kidneys allows you to make an accurate diagnosis

The second type of diagnosis allows you to look at the clinical picture "from the inside": with the help of special devices, the doctor determines which organ is affected and how much. An instrumental study for making a final diagnosis includes:

biochemical analysis of urine;
Ultrasound or tomography of the kidneys.

Treatment options

Standard treatment regimens for diseases that cause an unpleasant smell of urine in a child:

Disease	Treatment regimen	Prevention
Diabetes	Taking hypoglycemic drugs, monitoring blood glucose levels, in severe cases - insulin therapy	Minimize the consumption of foods containing a large amount of fast carbohydrates, avoiding fast food
Stenosis of the digestive system	In the early stages - anti-symptomatic drugs, in the later stages - surgery	Balanced three meals a day + light snacks between main meals
Pyelonephritis	Antibiotic therapy - the drug is selected after bacterial culture of urine. In combination with an antibiotic, prebiotics and probiotics are recommended.	Avoid severe hypothermia, consume a sufficient amount of fluid per day, respond in a timely manner to the urge to urinate
Urethritis	Azithromycin, Ceftriaxone, Doxycycline. For external use Miramistin is used. After treatment, immunomodulators are prescribed	Compliance with the rules of personal hygiene, minimizing the consumption of fatty, spicy foods, avoiding hypothermia
Cystitis	Antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, diuretics, analgesics. Bed rest and physiotherapy, compresses	Similar to urethritis prevention
Liver failure	Cephalosporins, hypoammoniemic drugs, mild laxatives, vitamins	Timely treatment of infectious diseases, rejection of excessive consumption of protein foods
Phenylketonuria	Incurable. Symptoms are minimized by controlling blood phenylalanine	-
Trimethylaminuria	Diet that excludes foods containing choline and lecithin, as well as antibiotic therapy	Compliance with the rules of personal hygiene

Prevention is carried out not only before the disease, but also after - in order to avoid re-infection. Prevention of relapses is to increase immunity and stimulate the work of the organs of the urinary system. If your baby is sick, try to follow all the doctor's instructions to avoid complications.