The acetone or ketone bodies they are substances that the liver creates when glucose is at minimum levels. The accumulation of acetone in the child's blood causes the breakdown of this substance accumulated in it to cause, when it is eliminated by kidney leaks or through the pulmonary route, bad smell of urine and breath.
A child needs up to four times more glucose than an adult and unlike an adult, glucose stores are much more limited. Hence, after a prolonged feverish state or a fast caused by some disease, the child's body burns sugars much faster to get energy. The wear and tear of these sugar deposits causes the child's organism to start spending fats as an additional energy source, in this way it can cope with a possible hypoglycemia crisis or a drop in blood sugar. The breath of a child who has acetone is very characteristic, since it gives the impression of smelling sour apples (reinette) from the moment he wakes up in the morning, in addition, sometimes the child is usually quite tired and even vomits . To determine the existence of acetone, it is best to buy test strips that confirm the possible presence of acetone in the urine.
To alleviate the body's acetone, it is best to offer the child juice with sugar by giving it in small amounts or by sipping, since that state of vomit distress makes it impossible to take it normally. A prolonged fasting situation, leads to an increase in acetone, it should be remembered that in large quantities this substance is a toxin for the body of the child and it is necessary to eliminate it.
If acetone is not removed after 24 hours, it is best to go to the pediatrician to perform the relevant tests and you can rule out any metabolic abnormality such as hyperthyroidism or diabetes.
An option recommended by some pediatricians in the case of acetone in the small one, is to provide homemade whey based on mineral water, lemon juice, sugar, a pinch of salt and bicarbonate. It is a remedy that will reduce those levels of acetone and therefore the desire to vomit.
