Urgent ‘margarita burn’ warning after baby left with blistered red raw mouth and cheeks after snacking on veggie sticks
A MUM warned parents about “margarita burn” after her baby was left with blistered cheeks and a red raw mouth after eating a celery stick.
Reanna Bendzak issued the urgent health advice after her daughter’s skin condition was triggered by a chemical reaction from the sun and plants.
The Canadian woman claimed her seven-month-old girl had been eating the vegetable snack while playing in the sun at a barbecue.
However, it only took 30 minutes of sunlight exposure to set off the horrendous reaction.
Roughly 24 hours later, the mum noticed an aggressive rash that developed around the youngster’s mouth.
Pictures showed as time went on that the baby’s face became consumed with blistering burns and intense swelling.
Little to the mum’s knowledge, her daughter had suffered phytophotodermatitis, also known as margarita burn.
The skin condition is triggered by a reaction between sunlight and a plant chemical called furanocoumarin.
It is found in citrus fruits, carrots, figs, dill, parsley, parsnip and the juice of celery.
The mum told Good Morning America: “It wasn’t warm by any means but it was sunny so she was covered neck-to-toe in a onesie and we had a sun hat on her.
“She was in the sun for 20 to 30 minutes, the celery juice drool was wiped away with a dry cloth and bathed that evening.”
Later that evening, the reaction started to develop and painful blisters began to damage the baby’s skin.
The mum said: “I had no idea that it was even a possibility until this experience.
“Now in retrospect, of course, we would have done things differently and made an intentional effort to go inside and wash with soap and water.”
It has been two months since the terrifying incident but the mum said her daughter was recovering well.
The youngster will now undergo treatment for hyperpigmentation and scarring.
What is margarita burn
Margarita burn is a skin condition formally known as phytophotodermatitis.
- Margarita burns result when a chemical called furocoumarin reacts with sunlight.
- This chemical is found in limes and citrus fruits, celery, figs, fennel and a number of other plants.
- Margarita burns typically start as a rash that forms within 24 hours of exposure.
- People with a mild case of margarita burn may never even notice it, as the condition tends to clear up on its own.
- Worse cases may develop into severe blistering that can land you in the hospital.
- Treatment varies depending on the severity