Evolution may be reason why teenagers smell bad and toddlers smell good, study says

Why do teenagers smell bad?

BOSTON - Have you noticed that your sweet-smelling baby has suddenly turned into a funky-smelling teenager? A new study looks at why.

German scientists sewed small cotton patches into the armpits of t-shirts of 18 teenagers and the body suits of 18 toddlers under the age of three.

They found that the teens secreted two stinky compounds that the toddlers did not. These glands get activated around puberty.

There may be an evolutionary reason for this change in odor. Parents will want to stay near a sweet-smelling baby, but may want to put distance between themselves and their teen who craves independence.

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

Twitter Facebook