THURSDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- A series of tests that are
the first to accurately assess children's ability to taste and
smell have been developed by Australian researchers.
Using these three tests -- the Wholemouth Taste Test, the
Regional Taste Test, and the Odor Identification Test -- the
researchers determined that most children ages 5 to 7 can identify
a majority of 16 different test "odorants" that measure smell
function, and four common tastes (salty, bitter, sour and sweet)
that gauge taste.
The odorants include: floral, orange, strawberry, fish,
chocolate, baby powder, paint, cut grass, sour, minty, onion, Vicks
Vapo-rub, spicy, Dettol (liquid antiseptic), cheese, and
gasoline.
The study was published in the July issue of the journal
Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery.
Previously, there was no suitable clinical test to measure a
child's smell and taste. Many tests used for adults take too long
for children and test for smells and tastes that may not be well
known to most children, the Australian researchers explained.
Taste and smell can be lost due to a number of factors,
including nasal and sinus disease, head trauma, middle ear surgery
and infections, medications, and a number of diseases.
More information
The American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery
has more about
smell and taste.
