Warning to parents as celery leaves baby with burns on face

Tyler Field was left horrified when her seven-month-old daughter Imelda Sykes broke out in a red rash on her face and hands.

The child had been snacking on a celery stick in the sunshine when her complexion began to change.

Concerned Imelda was suffering an allergic reaction or had been burnt by the sun, Tyler told a close friend about what had happened when she learned the risks of eating celery in the sunshine.

Phytophotodermatitis, also known as ‘margarita burns’, is a skin reaction when the sap from certain plants, including giant hogweed, but also carrots, celeries and limes (Image: Kennedy News)

Phytophotodermatitis, also known as ‘margarita burns’, is a skin reaction when the sap from certain plants, including giant hogweed, but also carrots, celeries and limes, gets on the skin and is then exposed to sunlight.

The areas affected become acutely red, and often blister.

Tyler, who lives in Reading, Berkshire, believed Imelda had got away with just a red rash - before painful, fluid-filled blisters began breaking out on her baby's arm and mouth the following day.

The 25-year-old said she felt 'huge mum guilt' and fears her daughter may be scarred for life from the vegetable-induced skin reaction.

Tyler said: "I couldn't work it out at first. I thought she had had an allergic reaction but she'd had celery inside before and she hadn't eaten anything new before.

"Then the next morning she had big, fluid-filled blisters all around her hands and around her face. It's clearly where she had the celery on her hand and around her mouth.

"I had them on my arms too from where she had touched me. You can see the little fingerprints on my arm.  I was so shocked.

"By the next day, the blisters became weeping skin. Then it started scabbing over and she still has a lot of redness on her face and hands."

Phytophotodermatitis, also known as ‘margarita burns’, is a skin reaction when the sap from certain plants, including giant hogweed, but also carrots, celeries and limes (Image: Kennedy News)

Tyler wants to warn other parents about phytophotodermatitis before other children become victims and also suffer burns.

Tyler said:  "I was crying into my boyfriend's chest. I felt so guilty and I know it's completely irrational but, as a mum, you feel like you should know these things. I will never make that mistake again.

"It's a summer food that everyone eats. It's really concerning. I think it's more prevalent in children because they're messy eaters and it's smeared all over their skin.

"But throughout this whole thing, I'm really surprised how little people actually know about this.

"There's a potential she could be scarred for a very long time because of this. I just want to make people aware and let them know it's celery burn. It's just not common knowledge and needs to be more widely known."