A mum has revealed the painful ‘burns’ her seven-month-old daughter received after an innocent munch on celery to soothe her sore gums.

Reanna Bendzak said her daughter chewed on celery in the sunshine for no more than 30 minutes, but it was enough for her to experience a burn-like reaction.

“After our experience, we hope to spread awareness of the risks around consuming certain foods and drinks in the sun,” Reanna explained in a Facebook post.

“Phytophotodermatitis is a burn-like skin reaction that occurs after the juice of a fruit/vegetable containing furanocoumarins becomes present on the skin and is then exposed to sunlight. Carrots, celery, citrus fruit (most commonly limes), figs, bergamot, dill, parsley, and parsnip all contain furanocoumarins.”

Reanna explained that her daughter was chewing on celery while enjoying the sunshine in Canada, to help soothe her gums as she’s teething.

“She was in the sun for 20-30 minutes, the celery juice/drool was wiped away with a dry cloth and bathed that evening. She is healing well but we now have a long road of hyperpigmentation and scarring to treat.”

She warned parents to be mindful of the snacks and drinks they give their children while in the sunshine. Reanna even conducted an experiement on her own arm with celery juice, to further highlight the issue.

“Before, during reaction, recreating the reaction on my arm – celery juice applied 3 times during 25min of sun exposure.”

What is phytophotodermatitis?

According to Healthline, phytophotodermatitis is a type of contact dermatitis. It’s caused by contact with certain plant chemicals that can cause skin inflammation when exposed to sunlight.

While it’s not as common as other types of contact dermatitis, as this case shows, it can still happen. And while it looks serious, the reaction does usually go away on its own after a bit of time.

The symptoms include blister-like patches on the skin, which can be itchy, and arises wherever the skin was in contact with the plant substance.

Some of the plant that may cause phytophotodermatitis are:

• carrots
• celery
• citrus fruits (most commonly limes)
• figs
• wild dill
• wild parsley
• wild parsnips

If you think your child may be having a similar reaction, it’s always wise to get the doctor to confirm what it is.