Question
A 3-year-old boy has very bad breath. What are the causes and what are the effects on the body?
Answer
Bad breath in young children may be related to food retention, often manifesting as morning breath or acid breath. This is due to food residue in the stomach, commonly known as high-level fasting. When a child experiences this, it can be helpful to try reducing or fasting from a meal, which aids in the restoration of gastrointestinal function. For bad breath caused by indigestion, digestive aids such as pepsin, multienzyme tablets, and the like can be used. In severe vomiting situations, it may be necessary to fast for 12 hours and gradually resume normal eating. Severe dehydration should be addressed promptly with fluid replacement.