Grapefruit

Grapefruit can be offered once your baby is about 6 months old and ready for solids. Juice from grapefruit and other sour fruits may leave a harmless red patch where it touches skin, and may add to diaper rash.

Grapefruit is a citrus hybrid that originated on the Caribbean Islands. This bittersweet fruit is a cross between sweet orange and tart pomelo. Crosses that came from it include tangelo, oroblanco, minneola and uglifruit.

It is high in carbohydrates and fluid, and has fiber too. It has vitamins A, B6 and C, potassium, folate and antioxidants such as lycopene. These help with energy, digestion, hydration, vision, metabolism, immunity, electrolyte balance, the nervous system and body repair.

At 6 months serve whole segments with the peel, membranes and seeds removed. At 9 months, offer bite-size pieces or thin slices. At 12 months serve bite-sized pieces with a fork. After 24 months you can give a half grapefruit with seeds removed and each segment loosened with a knife but left in place, so your child scoops it with a spoon. They may not eat much, but it keeps them interested in the food during picky phases.

Serve grapefruit juice only after 12 months. Regular juice raises cavity risk and fills the belly, so waiting until the second birthday helps.

If your baby takes medication, ask the pediatrician or a pediatric dietitian before offering grapefruit. A compound found in large amounts in grapefruit changes the way the body processes certain drugs.

Citrus segments with the membrane left on pose a choking hazard to children and babies. A seed can be breathed in by accident, which creates a risk of aspiration.

To lower the risk, separate each segment from its membrane and take out any seeds. Stay within arm's reach during meals.

Grapefruit is not a common food allergen. Medical literature around the world often describes a self-reported sensitivity to citrus.

People with oral allergy syndrome (pollen food allergy) may react to citrus fruits, grapefruit among them. People allergic to grass and some tree pollens may be especially sensitive to citrus. It typically brings a short spell of itching, tingling or stinging in the mouth, and a serious reaction is unlikely. Peeling the grapefruit can help reduce the reaction.

Sour fruits may leave a harmless red mark on skin they contact. It usually fades soon. The acid can also irritate a baby's digestive tract and, in excess, start or worsen diaper rash. A barrier ointment, for example plain petroleum jelly or a balm of plant oil and wax, applied to the face and diaper area before the meal protects the skin. Limonene, a known contact allergen in grapefruit peel, may lead to allergic contact dermatitis in sensitized people.

Grapefruit is also linked to phytophotodermatitis. If the juice stays on the skin unwashed, compounds in it are activated by sunlight. The skin develops a pigmented, itchy and sometimes blistering, painful rash. Washing the skin after handling citrus and covering it from the sun prevents it.

As with any new food, start with a small amount for the first meals and raise it over later meals if nothing happens.