Lemon

Lemon juice and finely grated zest are a low choking risk. The seeds are the main problem: the NHS says to always remove hard pips from fruit, and the CDC says to avoid small, hard foods for young children. The peel is tough, so keep slices and wedges for adults, and stay with your child during meals.

Lemon is not a common allergen. An NHS dietitian information sheet lists citrus fruits, including lemon, among the foods that most often cause a red rash around the mouth where the food touches the skin. This contact reaction is not an allergy: it stays where the food touched, isn't itchy or swollen, and starts to clear once the skin is wiped clean.

Lemon juice has about 39 mg of vitamin C per 100 g, but babies get only a few drops, so it adds flavor more than nutrients.

A few drops in food, yes, from around 6 months. An NHS recipe for babies from 6 months squeezes lemon juice over chicken strips before baking. That recipe uses juice only; a small pinch of finely grated zest cooked into food adds flavor too, or you can stick to juice. Lemon juice as a drink is different: the AAP says no juice before 12 months, and the NHS says babies under 12 months don't need fruit juice (see the next question). US advice on seasoning is more cautious: see the guidance note below.

Skip lemonade: it has added sugar. The AAP lists lemonade with soda and fruit drinks as sugary drinks that harm children's health, and US and UK advice is to avoid added sugar up to age 4. Lemon water is diluted lemon juice, so treat it like juice. The AAP says no juice before 12 months, and from 12 months to 3 years no more than 4 oz (120 ml) a day, in a cup. The NHS says babies under 12 months don't need juice; if you give it, dilute it (1 part juice to 10 parts water) and give it only with meals, because the sugars and acids in juice can cause tooth decay. It suggests undiluted juice only from age 5. Fresh-squeezed juice isn't pasteurized, and the FDA says not to give unpasteurized juice to infants or young children. Plain water is the best everyday drink, with breast milk or formula before 12 months.

NHS dietitians list citrus fruits, including lemon, among the foods that most often cause a contact rash where the food touches the skin. It isn't an allergy: it stays around the mouth, chin and hands, isn't itchy or swollen, and fades once you wipe the skin clean. NHS dietitians suggest leaving that food out for a few days, then offering a small portion again, such as 1 teaspoon. A thin layer of petroleum jelly around the mouth before meals can help, or mix the lemon into food and offer it on a spoon. A rash that spreads or turns into hives is different: talk to your pediatrician. Call your emergency number right away if your baby has breathing trouble, sudden swelling of the lips, face or tongue, or hives with repeated vomiting.