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My 6 year olds room smells like urine…

11/16/2009

Question:

I have a 6 year old boy, the youngest of three. His bedroom smells like urine usually within minutes of putting him to bed. By morning, the odor is prolific. He has not wet the bed in over three years and has never wet in the bed he currently sleeps in (it`s not a residual odor in an old bed). Changing to clean sheets has no effect. The odor seems to be coming from him. If I enter the room after he has fallen asleep, he smells; his breath, the sheets around him, and the whole room. What would cause this? He is normally healthy and has no medical conditions to speak of. None of our other children have ever had this issue.

Answer:

I do not have a good answer to your question. There are metabolic conditions that can affect the body odor, but I am unaware of one that causes a urine smell. I would be certain he showers before bed and try using a different soap. If this does not help, consultation with a pediatric endocrinologist might help.

For more information:

Go to the Urinary and Genital Disorders (Children) health topic.