Eggs?

[Puppie]

How vigilant are you all when it comes to eggs? HVs say none until 1 year but I'm really keen to widen DS's repetoire and would love to give him eggy bread (he's 10.5 mths). Just keen to know what others think.

[peggotty]

I thought you could give them well cooked eggs e.g scrambled or eggy bread after 6 months?

[MakemineaGandT]

I thought it was after 6m

[Brangelina]

You can try but he may not eat it. Here in Italy we're advised to wait until 1yo and then try giving the yolk only first (whites are more allergenic apparently). My DD refused to eat eggs in any form until she was 18mo but now would live off them if she could.

[Puppie]

Brangelina HV says the same...can give them yolk but not white. I dont know of anyones children who have had a reaction to eggs or however severe it is so dont know if I'm being over cautious or I should just give him some.

[Brangelina]

It's your call ultimately, no advice is completely correct anyway, it all varies hugely from country to country. I just tended the follow Italian guidelines for the introduction of things like cow's milk (not until 1yo, not even on cereal) and eggs etc. as there are far fewer allergies out here.

Having said that, we're not an allergic family and I probably could have doen eggs earlier with no adverse side effects. However, I do know someone whose DS is allergic to eggs - he comes out in hives every time he so much as looks at one. He's also from a non-allergic family so who knows.

[Dawnie6577]

My 9 month old is allergic to eggs, and neither DH or me are.
If you want to give, I would try with just the yolk and a very small amount and build it up gradually. In some ways, it isn't practical to avoid eggs totally until a year, plus they are a good source of protein and vitamins (NB most nutritious part is yolk anyway).
But I feel guilty as hell for trying mine with eggs! Also, an allergy often doesn't show until 2nd or 3rd time it is tried.

[amidaiwish]

DD2 has an egg allergy. no allergies in our families. i gave her egg at 8 months. big mistake!

many other countries say after 18m or 2yr to be sure. If i had waited DD2 would have been fine. this is the one food where i see big discrepancies between countries.

[Puppie]

amidaiwish what happened with your DD2 then?

[amidaiwish]

1st time she was just a bit sick - she hadn't had much and i thought she just didn't like it and spewed it out.

second time she ate quite a bit. we went out for a walk, she fell asleep in the buggy under her sunshade, then i pulled it back to check her and she was covered in hives. I rushed into the chemist, gave her a big spoon of piriton (even though not meant to give under 1year, the pharmacist was like "give it to her, bigger spoonful, now, here's a spoon, QUICK!"), the hives went down within 20mins and she was ok.

I went to see the GP, he was very concerned as this is a typical sequence - 1) sick 2) hives with the third time possible anaphylatic shock. We were sent to the hospital for allergy tests (blood and skin prick). The tests came back positive for egg but clear for everything else. Apparently egg is common and one that she is very likely to grow out of, especially if generally a "non allergic" child - i.e. not allergic to other things. She is fine with cakes etc and i don't have to check ingredients, but she can't have scrambled/boiled/fried egg, quiche, pancakes etc...

[preggersplayspop]

I started my DS on egg yolk-only eggy bread after 6 months, and included the white only after 12 months.

The little boy of a friend of mine had an allergic reaction to egg (she gave him both white/yolk) when he was less than a year as the HV had said he could eat anything other than honey at that point. It was pretty nasty I believe and he ended up in A&E where the doctor told her he didn't advise eggs before 18 months. I don't think there was a history of allergies in her family.

[Puppie]

Right these last two posts have made me think that that I am going to play it safe. Shivers

Amidaiwish how long after eating did DD vomit? My DS did actually vomit with his bedtime bottle but that was a good 13 hrs after and he does sometimes anyway so not sure if it was connected.

[amidaiwish]

with the egg it was pretty instant. i thought she just didn't like it as it was a kind of spit it all out vomit iykwim.

hives it was definitely after.

more and more countries advise 12m or even 2yrs + to introduce egg. i don't know why the UK guidelines don't limit it at all. It seems to be quite a common allergen even in children with no other allergies.

[amidaiwish]

to answer your question (sorry!) vomiting with the egg was straight away. Hives about half an hour after.

13 hours later i doubt if it is an allergy thing.

[zsos]

i started by givig my little one yolk, scrambled and hardboild. but when i told my friend who i s a ped doc. she said there is no reason why i should not introduce the whites as well. now she likes the whites much better, and it is good protien