Parasites May be Cause of Child's Bad Breath
 (NY, Reuters-Health, 10/24/02)

Dr. Bahri Ermis and colleagues from Karaelmas University in Zonguldak, Turkey studied a group of children who had chronic halitosis (bad breath). The researchers gave 82 children the drug mebendazole, which is typically used as an anti-parasite medication, and 80 others a placebo. The researchers found a link between the drug and a decrease in bad breath among the participants, especially for those whose stool had initially tested positive for the presence of parasites.