How to Give Egg to Your Baby to Prevent Egg Allergy?

80% of allergies can be prevented if you give your baby eggs before the age of 8 months.

This article uses the official guidelines drawn up by DAVO (Dietitians Alliance for Food Sensitivity) and the Pediatric Allergology section of the NVK (Dutch Association for Pediatrics).

3 different routes for introducing egg

There are 3 possible routes for giving eggs to your baby:

1. Home - 3 steps
2. Home - 6 steps
3. Consult with doctor

Which route & schedule will you choose to give egg to your baby?

To determine which route is most suitable for your baby, we have created a decision tree in collaboration with the pediatric allergist of the Taskforce Prevention Food Allergy. Take our test and answer the following 4 questions and see which route for giving eggs is best for your baby.

1. Age of the baby
   Research has shown that introducing allergens before the age of 8 months is the critical limit.
2. Eczema in babies
   Babies with moderate to severe eczema have an 8- to 24-fold increased risk of developing a food allergy.
3. Previous feeding reactions
   If your baby has previously had an acute reaction to another food, the risk of a reaction to another allergen is also higher. Acute reaction here refers to an IgE-mediated reaction, in which a reaction of the immune system takes place. The symptoms occur immediately after eating (between 1 minute and 2 hours) and usually consist of skin reactions (particularly hives/nettle rash or swelling in the face), acute vomiting, red watery eyes and runny nose and wheezing when inhaling or exhaling. Pimples that appear the next day or abdominal pain 4 hours after eating are therefore not signs of an allergy.
4. Allergies in the family
   There may be fear in parents due to previous allergies or reactions in the family.

1. Home 3-step egg feeding schedule

If your baby is between 4 and 8 months old and there are no risk factors such as eczema or previous reactions to food, you can give eggs at home in 3 steps.
You then add increasing amounts of cooked egg to the baby food in 3 steps over 3 days. You can use this schedule for this, drawn up in accordance with the guidelines of DAVO dieticians.

If you have completed all 3 steps, your child is not allergic! Make sure that afterwards:
> CONTINUE giving ½ egg weekly until your baby is 1 year old, otherwise an egg allergy can still develop

2. Home- 6 Step Egg Feeding Schedule

If your baby is younger than 6 months, but your baby has moderate to severe eczema; or your baby is younger than 8 months, but there is a fear of introduction; then you can give egg at home using a modified 6-step schedule.
You then add increasing amounts of egg to the baby food for 2 days in 6 steps. You can use this schedule for this, drawn up in accordance with the guidelines of DAVO dieticians.

If you have completed all 6 steps, your child is not allergic! Make sure that afterwards:

> CONTINUE giving ½ egg weekly until your baby is 1 year old, otherwise an egg allergy can still develop.

3. Consult with your doctor about how to give eggs if...

If your baby is older than 8 months; has severe to moderate eczema or has had a previous reaction to another food, it is recommended to give your baby eggs in the hospital.
If there are allergies in the family or there is another reason you are nervous about introducing it at home, discuss with your doctor what the best route is.

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Sources:

DAVO (Dietitians Alliance Food Hypersensitivity)
Pediatric Allergology section of the NVK (Dutch Association for Pediatrics)