A concerned mother has issued a warning after her baby girl got severe burns around her mouth after eating celery sticks.
Reanna Bendzak from Canada explained that her baby was teething so she decided to give her a celery stick to help soothe her gums while they were outside.
Speaking to Good Morning America, she said: “Our daughter was cutting her second tooth, so we gave her a piece of celery to chew on, just to help soothe those gums.”
Benzak continued: “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.”
The mother also shared photos of her daughter on Facebook and urged other parents and guardians to be mindful of what they give their babies.
“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.”
She also told CBC: “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.”
Her baby developed second-degree burns around her mouth, making it difficult for the little one to drink milk or eat.
Doctors then told the mom that her daughter was suffering from phytophotodermatitis, which is also known as ‘margarita burns.’
This happens when the sap from particular plants, such as celery, limes, parsley, parsnips, peppers, mustard and carrots, gets on the skin and is exposed to sunlight.
The compounds, furanocoumarins, then react to UVA ultraviolet rays.
“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,” the mother went on.
Her baby is now recovering well but still has scars that may require further treatment.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section and SHARE this story with your friends and family!