Illustrative photo
A 12-month-old baby emanated a fishy odor after eating certain dishes. Doctors concluded that the smell likely resulted from a genetic condition. rara.
The case that happened in Portugal was reported in National Library of Medicinefrom the USA.
Although the February report does not reveal the child’s identity, it is worth giving credit to the investigators involved in the case: Maria M. Resende, Laura Leite-Almeida, Patrícia Campos and Inês Sobreirafrom the Local Health Unit (ULS) of the Aveiro Region; and still Paula Garcia from ULS in Santo António, in Porto.
The baby was 10 months old when the parents noticed for the first time that, after eating different types of fish, developed a rotten fish odor.
The smell was especially intense on the head and hands.
The mother temporarily removed fish from her diet, but after reintroducing it into her meals two months later, the odor returned. And he decided to go to the doctor.
Fortunately, no abnormalities were detected in the boy’s neurodevelopment or growth. Laboratory tests also showed that the kidneys, liver and thyroid functioned normally.
“Fish odor syndrome”
Doctors suspected that the child had developed a rare metabolic disorder called trimethylaminuria, also known as “fish odor syndrome,” in which your breath, saliva, sweat and urine smell like decomposing fish.
As explained by , rotten fish acquires its characteristic smell due to a molecule called trimethylamine. In turn, the human body produces trimethylamine from foods such as fish.
An enzyme called monooxygenase 3 that contains flavin (FMO3) breaks down trimethylamine in the body, transforming it into the odorless compound trimethylamine N-oxide.
However, if the enzyme does not function properly, the Trimethylamine accumulates in the body and can cause a person to produce a foul aroma, similar to that of decomposing fish.
As stated in the report, the doctors carried out a molecular analysis of the child’s FMO3 gene, which produces the FMO3 enzyme, and found a combination of genetic variants that, in fact, could disrupt the production of the enzymecausing a mild or temporary form of trimethylaminuria.
Treatment? Soap
Doctors recommended that the child’s parents reintroduce fish into the diet in small quantities and that they control any lingering smell with a low pH soap, which reduces body odor.
Over time, the rotten smell after meals with fish weakened; and, at 19 months old, I already ate fish five or six times a week without showing any symptoms of bad smell.
There is no treatment or cure for trimethylaminuria; its main cause is genetic and, in adults, the disease is often chronic.
As the doctors write in the report, cited by Live Science, in this case, the child’s temporary episode of trimethylaminuria was probably shaped by a combination of factors, including inherited variants of the FMO3 gene and the immaturity of his metabolism.
As the metabolic system of this little Portuguese matured, the enzyme FMO3 will have improved its ability to decompose trimethylamine.
