this is what I found:
Blue baby syndrome, also known as infant methemoglobinemia, is a condition where a baby’s skin turns blue. This occurs due to a decreased amount of hemoglobin in the baby’s blood.
Hemoglobin is a blood protein that is responsible for carrying oxygen around the body and delivering it to the different cells and tissues.
When the blood is unable to carry oxygen around the body, the baby turns blue (cyanotic).
Blue baby syndrome is rare in industrialized countries, but it does occasionally occur in rural areas. Babies born in developing countries with poor water supply continue to be at risk for the condition.
The most common cause of blue baby syndrome is water contaminated with nitrates.
After a baby drinks formula made with nitrate-rich water, the body converts the nitrates into nitrites. These nitrites bind to the hemoglobin in the body, forming methemoglobin, which is unable to carry oxygen.
Nitrates are most common in drinking water in farming communities that use well water. This contamination is due to the use of fertilizers and manure.
Infants younger than 3 months are at highest risk for blue baby syndrome, but it can also occur in other populations.
People at risk for methemoglobinemia include adults with:
- a genetic predisposition
- ulcers or gastritis
- kidney failure requiring dialysis