Cravings for Spicy and Sour
Most parents are familiar with kids who flatly refuse to eat anything unusual, strong-flavored, spicy, or slimy. But what if your child craves sharp tastes, drinks pickle juice from the jar, or sucks on slices of lemon? He also has sensory problems and may be unable to taste much of anything if it's not smacking him in the taste buds.
A child who is undersensitive to information coming in from his gustatory sense may not stop at putting strong-flavored foods in his mouth. He's liable to put nonfood items in there, too, since he won't be stopped by unpleasant tastes that indicate inedibles.
To some degree, having a child with an adventurous palate can be amusing. You marvel at the sophisticated, intense, adult things she enjoys. Sour candies, you may find, are good for keeping her alert while doing homework or sitting in church. Powerfully flavored cinnamon or peppermint candies might help her keep her fingers out of her mouth or distract from other bad habits. It may be unusual for a child to enjoy sauerkraut or Brussels sprouts or raw lemons, but most often there's no harm in it.
Should I worry if my child likes to eat things like dirt, crayons, or paste?
The desire or craving to eat nonfood items is called pica. While it is not uncommon in young children, it can be dangerous if hazardous substances such as chips of lead paint are ingested, or if items are harmful to the teeth or digestive tract. Consult your pediatrician if your child does this regularly.
Early Warning
Oftentimes, it's true that being undersensitive to taste isn't actively harmful. But taste and smell are part of the body's warning system that something coming into the body might be dangerous, and disarming that system can have consequences. You know that the milk is bad because it tastes sour, and you stop drinking. The bitter taste of medication tells you right away that it's not candy. If your child doesn't receive those signals at all, or at a high enough level to sound an alarm, he's in danger of eating or drinking things that can make him sick.
Similarly, a working sense of smell protects you from all sorts of dangers. A child with an inadequate response to olfactory information may not smell smoke from a fire. She may not be put off by the strong smell of cleaning chemicals and think they're good to drink. She may enjoy sniffing strong odors like glue or paint thinner because they give such a strong jolt to her sense of smell, and become ill because of it. Like a smoke alarm without a battery, an underreacting “smeller” can't sense danger and can't warn your child of it.
Another distressing odor your child may not register enough to avoid is the smell of feces. Your little one may genuinely think that stuff in his diaper is okay to play with because the smell does not disturb him. Potty training may go at a slower pace if your child doesn't notice the odor of a soiled diaper and so isn't bothered by it. Flatulence and body odor may not register either, opening your child up to ridicule from friends and schoolmates.
A Sense of Caution
Since your child who is undersensitive to taste and smell can't reliably tell what's good to eat and smell and what's not, you'll have to be extra careful in not leaving things that could be hazardous within her reach. Carefully monitor the contents of your refrigerator and cupboards. If your child is old enough to understand, talk about things like expiration dates, prescription labels, and poison warnings that will provide a visual alert when other senses aren't up to the job.
Monitor your child's own odors, too, and stress the importance of personal hygiene. When your child's in diapers, there may not be much you can do. But an older child needs to know that, while the way his body smells may not bother him, it bothers other people, and soap and deodorant are not negotiable. This may seem silly to your child, and you may have to keep close track of soap usage. A strong-smelling shower gel, if he enjoys it, may be one way to interest your child in cleanliness. It will also give you a good olfactory clue that washing has taken place.
Unlike other nerve cells, new taste and smell receptors replace old and damaged ones. Nonetheless, your sense of smell and taste does tend to fade with age, becoming weaker in your sixties. Respiratory problems, smoking, and cancer treatments can also impair the effectiveness of these chemical sensors.
And finally, although it may be fun to see your child put away foods you'd never expect him to like, be protective of his digestion and gastric health. Just because he likes it doesn't mean it's good for him.
Sharp, sour, and spicy foods are fine in moderation, but if your child's tucking in large amounts of the stuff, or seems not to know when to stop, check with your pediatrician to make sure it's not going to cause any problems. His underreaction to sensory information may extend to pain, and then you'll never know when he has a bellyache.
