Methemoglobinemia
Definitions
Parenthetical Definition
Methemoglobinemia (a disorder which babies appear blue) is a medical condition on babies who consume contaminated drinking water.
Sentence Definition
Methemoglobinemia is a disorder characterized by the presence of a higher than normal level of methemoglobin in the blood.
Expanded Definition
How can a baby develop methemoglobinemia? (Required Conditions & Visuals)
Fertilizers used on farmlands or cow feces spread on the cattle farms for the production of manure contain a high concentration of nitrates. After heavy rainfall or excessive watering on the field, nitrates in the fertilizer or manure can leach into the soil, which eventually contaminate the groundwater (Majumdar, 2003). Households, who depend on groundwater as their drinking water source, can consume water with a high concentration of nitrates. Iron ions in the hemoglobin, which serves the function of bringing oxygen to cells in the body, can be affected by the elevated level of nitrates in the bloodstream. As a result, babies or fetuses in mothers’ womb can develop methemoglobinemia and appear blue as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Appearance of a baby with “Blue Baby Syndrome” (“Blue Baby Syndrome.” Medical Information and Advice)
What are the health effects? (Examples)
Depend on the amount of nitrates consumed, affected babies can develop various symptoms such as (“Methemoglobinemia.”):
- shortness of breath
- headache
- fatigue
- exercise intolerance
- dizziness
- seizures
- coma
- death
Can we boil the water to remove the nitrates? (Comparison & Contrast)
Unlike microbiological contamination of drinking water, nitrates in groundwater cannot be eliminated even after the water is rolling-boiled for a few minutes. People, whose drinking water source is contaminated by nitrates, should consider finding alternative water sources, such as constructing a new well or using bottled water (“What’s In Your Well? – A Guide To Well Water Treatment And Maintenance.”).
Works cited:
“Blue Baby Syndrome.” Medical Information and Advice. N.p., n.d. http://book-med.info/syndrome/62412. Accessed September 2016.
Majumdar, Deepanjan. “The Blue Baby Syndrome Nitrate Poisoning in Humans.” SpringerLink. Resonance, Oct. 2003. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF02840703. 30 Nov. 2016.
“Methemoglobinemia.” Methemoglobinemia: Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/204178-overview. Accessed September 2016.
“What’s In Your Well? – A Guide To Well Water Treatment And Maintenance.” Health Canada. Health Canada, 2008. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/water-eau/well-puits-eng.php. Accessed September 2016.