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Egg Allergies in Babies: Symptoms and Treatment

Team AckoFeb 8, 2024

Is your baby allergic to eggs? How do you recognize if your baby has an allergy to eggs?

There are important things you should know about egg allergies in babies – their symptoms and treatments. A major step in your baby's development is the transition to solid food. While it is amazing, this can also introduce your baby to a very real danger i.e. food allergies.

Contents

What is egg allergies in babies?
Known reasons for egg allergy in babies:
Symptoms of egg allergies in babies:
Egg allergy symptoms include:
Diagnosis of egg allergies in babies:
Treatment of egg allergies in babies:

Food allergy symptoms can be mild, or they can be catastrophic in rare cases. Eggs are very nutritious and very good for babies. But for some babies, eggs are one of the most common sources of allergic reactions as well. If you have a family history of being allergic to eggs, then your baby is likely to have the same.

Egg allergy is most common in babies than in adults and most likely to fade away over time after the age of three.

What is egg allergies in babies?

Your baby’s immune system works round-the-clock to protect his body against viruses, parasites, and bacteria. However, babies’ immune system is not fully developed and is very prone to allergies.

Egg allergies in babies develop when their body’s immune system becomes sensitized and overreacts to proteins in egg whites or yolks. Their body sees these proteins as a foreign invader and sends out an antibody called immunoglobulin E to fight against it. This antibody triggers the chemical Histamine, to neutralize the protein. This chemical results in skin rashes, eczema, runny nose, and other symptoms of allergies.

Your child can be allergic to egg white or egg yolk too. But comparatively, it’s the egg white which is more allergen.

Known reasons for egg allergy in babies:

-It can be genetic. If one of the parents has an allergy to eggs then the chances of egg allergy in baby increases by 40%. If your baby has a tendency to show allergic reactions to other foods or substance, then he may develop an allergy towards eggs as well.

-If your baby has a weak immune system or suffering from any disease, then his body would accept egg protein as foreign invaders and react accordingly.

If your baby has any of the above-said situations then you need to be extra cautious while giving eggs to him.

Symptoms of egg allergies in babies:

Egg allergy reactions may vary from child to child. Egg allergy symptoms usually occur a few minutes to a few hours after eating eggs.

Egg allergy symptoms include:

Skin inflammation or hives: Rashes or red bumps may occur after the consumption of egg in babies. This leads to mild to severe itching and can cause eczema.

Respiratory problems: Your child may have nasal congestion, shortness of breath, unconsciousness if he is allergic to eggs. He might suffer from nasal congestion along with clear discharge, redness or itchiness in the nose. Your baby will breathe rapidly and lose consciousness.

Digestive problems: Egg allergy may lead to vomiting, nausea, digestion problem and thus, diarrhea. He may suffer from stomach ache as well.

Mouth swelling: You may notice swelling on or above your baby’s lips and perhaps a swollen tongue. Swelling in the throat may also occur, which leads to a problem in swallowing (rejects milk then)

Fever: An increased temperature with cold and cough could also be there.

Anaphylaxis (less common): This is a less common symptom but life-threatening. Extreme abdominal pain, cramps, swollen throat muscles that restrict the baby to breathe, rapid heartbeat, drastic drop in blood pressure, unconsciousness, fizziness are the conditions occur in anaphylaxis. It requires immediate medical intervention.

If your child shows any of these symptoms immediately after the consumption of egg, see a doctor.

Diagnosis of egg allergies in babies:

Your doctor will check your baby’s illness or allergies through various tests and by analyzing his medical history.

Skin Prick Test:

A small amount of egg protein is placed under your baby’s skin and tested for any allergy. If reddish spots or bumps occur within 15 to 20 minutes, then it indicates an allergy. This test will determine which part of the egg is your child is allergic to.

Blood Test:

A small amount of blood sample is sent to a laboratory to test for the presence of antibodies in the blood i.e. immunoglobulin E antibody. A food elimination diet also may be used to check if an allergy is present or not.

If symptoms disappear when eggs are removed from the diet and reappear with the consumption of egg again, an allergy is likely to there.

Treatment of egg allergies in babies:

The treatment of allergy depends upon its severity. If the symptoms are restricted to red bumps or a runny nose, then it can be treated without medical interference. The best way to treat an egg allergy in your child is to completely eliminate the eggs from your child’s diet.

Medical treatment:

If the allergy is mild then your doctor may prescribe for antihistamine injection for your baby. In the case of anaphylaxis, your doctor will give an auto-injector of epinephrine.

Dietary modifications

As said above, the best way to treat allergy is to completely eliminate the eggs from your child’s diet. Check the content of packed food if there is a usage of egg in it. If your child is on breastfeeds, then you must stop consuming egg too.

In order to reduce the chances of egg allergies in babies, introduce eggs early in your baby’s life but not before 8 months of age. Over a period, an immune system can start recognizing the egg proteins and thus, stop attacking them with an antibodies shock.

If your child is allergic to eggs severely then you must tell your doctor in advance as few flu vaccines contain egg proteins, which need to be replaced with the one that do not have bird cells or egg proteins. Your doctor will keep your child under observation after influenza vaccination shot to check for any reaction.

Note, if your baby is allergic to eggs, it is better to choose egg-free cooking. Once his medical practitioner allows him to have eggs, introduce the same in his diet.

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Egg Allergies in Babies: Symptoms and Treatment

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only, based on industry experience and secondary sources. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified expert for health or insurance-related decisions. Content is subject to change, refer to current policy wordings for specific ACKO details.

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