Why One Mom's Sweat Turned Blue During Pregnancy

From morning sickness to swollen ankles, there are plenty of changes you expect when you’re expecting. But for Keisha Sethi, a new pregnancy symptom came completely out of the blue, literally.

The London fitness coach went viral after sharing what she deemed “the weirdest pregnancy symptom”—blue sweat. According to Sethi, everything she had touched over the past few days had turned blue. It started with her toilet seat turning blue and then spread to her shirts and sheets turning the same shade as well.

The mom-to-be and her husband frantically searched the internet for answers as to what could be going on and Sethi consulted with her OBGYN. Shortly after, she was diagnosed with chromhidrosis as the root of her “Smurf syndrome.”

According to the National Institute of Health, Chromhidrosis is a rare condition that occurs in about 10 percent of the population at some point in time and results in colored sweat. While the color can vary from brown to blue to yellow, it causes no harm to mom or baby. While anyone can have Chromhidrosis, it is thought to be more evident in pregnancy because of hormonal imbalances and an overall increase in sweating.

“It was very relieving to know that a few other women have experienced this too. It’s a phenomenon that some people go through,” Sethi said in her video, adding, “I am genuinely baffled because I thought I was becoming an Avatar. It’s why I decided to wear blue today, so I don’t end up changing the color of my outfit.”

Thankfully, Sethi’s Chromhidrosis cleared up after a week, and she went on to welcome baby girl Aahana-Rae on Sept. 20.

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