In the human bloodstream, nitrites have a higher attraction to hemoglobin than does oxygen. When nitrites replace oxygen that the body needs, methemoglobinemia results. This substitution essentailly starves the body of oxygen. What results is a bluish skin discoloration in infants, which is how it gets the name "blue baby" syndrome. This is a serious problem for children younger than six months, before which their digestive system is not sufficiently developed.
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