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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Impure borewell water turns baby blue

Impure borewell water turns baby blue

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published Published on Jun 16, 2013   modified Modified on Jun 16, 2013
-The Times of India


NEW DELHI: The doctors at a private hospital recently diagnosed a 23-day-old child with life-threatening 'blue baby syndrome' caused by consumption of contaminated water.

They found that the baby, from Dhamori Khurd village in Gautam Budh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, was being fed packaged formula milk mixed in water from the borewell, which had high nitrate content, as clean drinking water was not available.

"When the baby came to us, his lips, hand and feet were blue in colour. We suspected a hole in the heart - a congenital anomaly that causes blue baby syndrome. But tests showed negative result. Then we tested him for methemoglobin level and found it to be 67% when normal is less than 1%," said Dr Satish Saluja, vice chairperson in the department of neonatology at Sir Ganga Ram hospital ( SGRH). Haemoglobin in human body when mixed by chemicals and pollutants results in methemoglobin. It changes the colour of the blood from red to blue, leading to poor oxygen supply to the tissues.

In this case, the doctors found, the water used by villagers had 27 ppm of nitrate levels against a normal level of less than 10 ppm which is suspected to be giving birth to the disease.

The baby was given medication to reverse the effect of methemoglobin. Within 12 hours the colour of the baby changed from blue to normal. "It was found that the mother was not able to breast feed the baby. Therefore, she started giving her packaged formula milk mixed with underground boring water," Dr Pankaj Garg, senior consultant in the neonatology division at the same hospital said.

Experts say high nitrate levels may be present in drinking water due to the use of man ure and fertilizers on agricultural land. "The natural level of nitrites and nitrates from the environment is normally a few milligrams per litre. Intense farming practice may increase this to more than 50 mg/litre," states WHO.

The underground water should be compulsorily tested for nitrate and other contamination in all areas near sites using pesticides or industrial waste, added Dr Garg. "Infants fed on prepared infant foods are generally not at a risk of nitrate poisoning. However, home-prepared foods from vegetables should be avoided until infants are 3 months or older," he said.


The Times of India, 15 June, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Impure-borewell-water-turns-baby-blue/articleshow/20598287.cms


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