Lime

Lime juice and finely grated zest are a low choking risk. 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.

Lime is not a common allergen. An NHS dietitian information sheet lists citrus fruits 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.

Lime juice has about 30 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, from around 6 months. No official source we use names lime for babies, but an NHS recipe for babies from 6 months uses lemon juice the same way. That recipe uses juice only; a small pinch of finely grated zest cooked into food adds flavor too, or you can stick to juice. Lime 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 limeade: it has added sugar. The AAP lists lemonade 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. Lime water is diluted lime 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.

It can, though it's usually mild. Lime juice on the skin followed by sunlight can cause a reaction called phytophotodermatitis: usually redness that leaves darker patches, and sometimes painful blisters. A medical journal report describes a 6-year-old whose hands had been soaked in lime juice for a long time while making limeade, and then blistered in the sun. It also found the chemicals responsible are much more concentrated in the peel than in the flesh. A few drops in food is not the same as soaked hands, but it's easy to wipe lime juice off your child's hands and face after meals, and don't let them squeeze limes in the sun.

NHS dietitians list citrus fruits 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 lime 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.