The mum, who shared her story with CPR Kids, was “mortified” by the seriousness of the burn and wished she had known better with regard to the common accident.
CPR Kids founder and nurse Sarah Hunstead shed light on the condition, revealing that margarita burns are not an allergic reaction - they can happen to anyone.
She said the burn has the potential to cause pigmentation changes to the skin years after it has healed.
“My son over the weekend has developed a chemical burn (margarita burn or phytophotodermatitis) eating the outside of a lime while playing with it in his little pool,” the concerned mum shared in an Instagram post.
“I never knew that this could happen as a parent, and my husband and I are mortified with the result of the burn.”
After informing her friends of the incident, she said that many of them were shocked that the combination of lime juice and sunlight could cause such a harsh reaction.
“I wish I knew about it and wondered if [this] might be a post that would be beneficial to share among your people so it doesn’t have to happen to other mums and dads,’ she said.
“He is now under the care of our local burns team, but it has been a horrible few days!”
Hunstead explained the science behind phytophotodermatitis to help parents be better informed about the common safety risk.
A mum has issued a warning to parents after her young child suffered painful burns after playing with a lime in direct sunlight. Photo / Getty Images
“Phytophodermatitis or a margarita burn is a form of plant dermatitis,” she said.
“Which is a skin reaction that occurs when these photosensitising chemicals that are in the sap or fruits become smeared on the skin and there is then exposure to sunlight.”
She revealed that the parts of the skin exposed to the sap or fruit juice, when exposed to sunlight, can then become red, inflamed and even blistered.
“After the acute reaction starts to subside, then you can actually get some pigment changes that can last for years,” Hunstead said.
“This can happen in anyone, it’s not an allergy. It’s accidental contamination of the skin with the juice or sap from a causative plant followed by sun exposure [which can] induce that reaction.”
While limes are the fruit most commonly associated with margarita burns, lemon, fennel, parsnip, mangoes, carrots and parsley can also be a danger.
