Baby Care Knowledgebase Guide for First-Time Parents Dear parents, in this article, we will talk about what the symptoms of egg allergy in babies and how to deal with it.
Egg is a very important food in terms of nutritional value and benefits for babies. For this reason, eggs are a highly recommended food source for pediatricians. That’s why we recommend you; Even if your child is in the low risk group for egg allergy, they should be introduced to eggs in their first year of life.
Egg allergy is one of the most common types of allergies. This is usually due to a reaction caused by the IgE antibody. However, non-IgE antibody-mediated egg allergies can also be seen.
What Are the Symptoms of Egg Allergy?
The symptoms of an egg allergy are also similar to the symptoms of a cow’s milk allergy or typical other food allergies. (We explained cow’s milk allergy in our previous article, click to read.) In general, the symptoms of egg allergy are as follows.
• Wheezing, coughing or runny nose may be observed in the lungs.
• Inflammation of the skin, swelling of the face, around the eyes and lips may be observed.
• Intestinal regurgitation, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain may be observed.
• Difficulty in breathing may be observed.
• An acceleration in the heart rate may be observed.
• Stomach cramps may be observed.
• Itching can be observed in various parts of the body.
• Hives may be observed.
• And different symptoms that we have not mentioned above can be observed.
Since egg allergy is generally IgE-mediated, symptoms appear quickly. (Symptoms appear in 1-2 minutes / 2 hours.)
The amount of eggs your child consumes and the way the egg is eaten (omelet, boiled, etc.) can also affect the severity of the symptoms.
What Should You Do Against Egg Allergy? Is There a Known Cure?
Unfortunately, there is no known cure for egg allergy yet. But don’t get discouraged right away. As a result of the researches, this allergy will disappear with a high probability (80-85%) as your child gets older.
If your child is allergic to eggs, the surest way is to stay away from eggs and not eat them. There is also a difference between the white part of the egg and the yellow part in terms of allergic reaction. While many children are allergic to the white part of the egg, the number of children who have an allergic reaction to the yolk part is very few.
Now let’s see how you can get rid of egg allergy gradually. First of all, you learned that your child is allergic to eggs. In this case, do not give your child eggs or foods containing eggs for the first 2-3 months. After a certain time, add half a teaspoon of egg into a cake or bread you have baked and follow the result. You see that your child did not show any allergic reaction, you can gradually increase the amount of eggs you use. However, as we said, do not suddenly increase the amount of eggs. For example, use the same dose of eggs in the first 1-2 months and increase the egg dose a little more in the 3rd month. The point you need to pay attention to here is that you also follow the allergic reactions every time.
Get well soon.
