A deeply concerned mom has issued a desperate warning after her daughter developed painful burns around her mouth when she ate a celery stick.
Reanna Bendzak from Kamloops in British Columbia, Canada, gave her seven-month-old daughter a bit of the vegetable to give her some relief from teething while they were out in the sun earlier on in the year.
Afterward, however, the little one (whose name has been withheld) sustained sore-looking burns.
"Our daughter was cutting her second tooth, so we gave her a piece of celery to chew on, just to help soothe those gums," Bendzak 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, so we thought she was fairly well-protected."
Taking to Facebook, Bendzak posted images of her daughter's symptoms following the breakout in mid-March.
Urging others to be mindful of what they give their children to eat, the mom said in her post: "With warmer days approaching, please be mindful of what snacks/drinks you and your children are enjoying and wash thoroughly before going into the sun if you do consume anything on this list as this can happen to anyone."
In an interview with CBC, she said: "She held it for five to 10 minutes [and] we were outside for the rest of the afternoon, and the next morning we woke up, she had a bit of a teething rash around her mouth… later that day, it developed blisters.
"It was second-degree burns all around her mouth — it had intense swelling, as well, which, of course, makes it difficult [for her] to eat or nurse."
Doctors later told the doting parent that the infant was suffering from phytophotodermatitis, which is more commonly known as "margarita burns".
It occurs when the sap from particular plants, such as carrots, celery and limes, gets on the skin and is then exposed to sunlight. The compounds that lead to the condition are furanocoumarins, which react to UVA ultraviolet rays.
Other plants that can cause the same symptoms include peppers, figs, mustard, parsley and parsnips.
"As any parents out there would know, your first reaction is just like, 'Oh my gosh, what did I do? And how could I have prevented that,'" Bendzak told GMA. "But you're only as good of a parent as the knowledge you have, and we did what we thought was best at the time."
She continued: "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."
Medics say the burns are different from allergic reactions and often take a couple days to become noticeable.
Bendzak's baby daughter is recovering well but still has some scars that may require treatment.
