When can you Feed Children Eggs?

Can I feed my 9 month old eggs?

We feed our children eggs beginning at 9 months.

Classically, doctors recommended feeding egg yolks at 12 months and egg whites at 2 years. Egg whites were delayed as they of the six most common food allergens.

10 years ago, the AAP recommendation was to avoid egg whites and other major allergens until at least two years old. This recommendation was based only on the strong opinions of some doctors who felt early introduction of foods created food allergies. This notion has more recently been challenged.

In 2008, Greer et al published a study that examined the introduction of food and development of allergic disease. This study was called the “Effects of Early Nutritional Interventions on the Development of Atopic Disease in Infants and Children: The Role of Maternal Dietary Restriction, Breastfeeding, Timing of Introduction of Complementary Foods, and Hydrolyzed Formulas”. This study showed no relationship between the timing of introductions of solid food and the development of allergic conditions.

Further research in the past 5 years has indicated that the best treatment for egg allergies might just be eggs themselves. In 2007, Duke researchers reported this finding in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Further research has supported this claim.

While eggs remain a common food allergen, it is safe to feed them to most children 9 months and up.

If your child has a history of or strong family history of allergic disorders, discuss this issue with your doctor.

Written November 2011 by
Dr. Gordon, Windermere Pediatrician