Egg allergies, similar to other food allergies, occur when your baby’s immune system shows sensitivity toward egg proteins. The symptoms such as rashes and inflammation appear within a few minutes to even an hour after consuming egg. If you or your partner has an allergy to eggs, it is likely your baby has it too. Egg allergies can resolve themselves over time with your baby’s immune system desensitising as they grow older.
An egg allergy is similar to other food allergies you might have heard of such as a mushroom or peanut allergy. Whenever people have allergic reactions toward some food, it indicates that their immune system is treating certain compounds present in the food as a threat and attacks it. Similarly, in an egg allergy, your baby’s underdeveloped immune system treats egg proteins as an invading pathogen and begins to attack it by releasing antibodies. These antibodies are called immunoglobulin E (IgE) and neutralize threats to defend the body. When the tissues in the body sense the presence of IgE, they release histamines which give rise to the familiar symptoms of an allergy such as a runny nose, inflammation and skin rashes. Babies can develop egg allergy to any form of it such as boiled, cook, raw or lightly-cooked. Allergies can also occur if the breastfeeding mother eats eggs.
Eggs contain many different types of proteins that can cause an allergic reaction and egg white allergy in babies is more common than yolk allergies.
Certain factors can increase the risk of your baby developing an allergy to eggs. They are as follows:
If your baby is sensitive to many other foods and shows signs of general allergic reactions, then there is a good chance they could be allergic to eggs as well. Babies that have allergies to nuts and grains have a higher risk of developing an allergy to eggs.
As allergies are a response from the immune system, a recent episode of a serious illness can make the body highly sensitive. The immune system is on high alert for foreign substances and it might mistake egg proteins for a potential threat. This would prompt the immune system to attack it and trigger an allergy.
If one of both parents has an allergy to eggs, there’s a high chance the baby will have it too. If allergies run in the families, then chances the baby will get it is about 40%.
Diagnosis starts with analyzing the baby’s diet and a history of allergies and other illnesses. It involves the following procedures:
The doctor picks out all the suspected foods (allergen) that can cause an allergy from the baby’s diet and ask you to eliminate all of them. Then you’ll reintroduce only one allergen at a time back into the diet to look for allergic reactions.
The doctor places a small drop of an extract of the allergen and then gently pricks the skin to introduce a small amount of the allergen into the skin. If the skin shows a reddish raised spot in that region within 20 minutes, it confirms the allergy.
Tests such as RAST (radioallergosorbent test) and ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) are performed to look for antibodies related to the egg allergy.
Certain complications can manifest themselves as egg and other allergies. Your baby may or may not have any such complications, but they may show the following symptoms:
The allergy treatment depends on how severe the reaction is. The course of treatment involves eliminating symptoms that can be life-threatening. There are two treatments for it as follows:
Antihistamines are used to treat mild symptoms such as running nose, swelling and rashes. In the case of anaphylaxis, epinephrine, also called adrenaline is administered. Epinephrine is available as self-administered injections with an auto-injector that gives a shot of epinephrine when it is pressed against the skin with a certain force.
You may be asked to eliminate eggs from the diet of your baby and avoid foods that contain eggs. If you’re breastfeeding, you will also have to stop consuming eggs and egg-based foods.
Along with avoiding eggs directly, you will also have to avoid foods that contain egg derivatives from the white or yolk.
Egg derivatives
Food products that may contain eggs:
Some healthy substitutes for eggs include,
You may want to keep in mind the following tips to avoid egg allergy in your baby.
Some vaccinations use egg whites or yellow in their manufacturing processes. Although this is almost eliminated in modern vaccine production, some of these might still contain egg in them:
Egg allergies can be safely treated with medication and usually resolve on their own as the babies grow up.