Infant Suffers Blistering Rash From Celery in the Sun
A Canadian mother, Reanna Bendzak, was horrified when her 7-month-old daughter developed a blistering rash overnight after munching on celery in the sun. Despite being covered in a onesie and sun hat, it wasn’t enough to protect the infant from phytophotodermatitis—a reaction that occurs when certain foods outside touch the skin and then encounter sunlight.
Dr. Clarissa Yang, chair of dermatology at Tufts Medical Center, explains that when UV-sensitive substances come into contact with the skin and are subsequently exposed to the sun, a painful condition called “margarita burn” results. The severity of the reaction depends on how much of the agent touched the skin.
The baby’s rash lasted for ten days and then turned into hyperpigmentation before disappearing entirely after six weeks. Bendzak recreated the reaction on her arm and shared her story on Facebook to raise awareness, hoping others can learn from her experience.
This isn’t the first instance of such an occurrence. In an earlier incident this year, a young boy experienced the same reaction after juicing limes, and a TikToker suffered a similar fate last year.
Source: nypost.com