My pediatrician (in USA) asked me to introduce allergy-prone foods (like citrus fruits, nuts, wheat, egg, fish, berries, melons, eggplant) as early as possible (between 6 to 8 months) to avoid allergies or lessen the impact of allergies, if any. I should thank her for this suggestion as I believe that I have overcome the egg allergy of my kid by introducing it in her early age. Nuts and eggs are very common allergens for babies. I started giving nuts (one by one) and egg when my baby completed 7 months. Click here to goto relevant food chart to know how I included nuts & eggs in her food? Always introduce one new food a day (in the first part of the day before 12 PM) to watch for allergies, if any.
My baby’s egg story:
I gave my baby egg 3 times in her early age. Two times when she completed 7 months and one time when she completed 8 months. When she ate for the first 2 times (1/4 of a whole boiled egg in the first time & half omelet in the second time), she was completely normal. But, third time, when she ate 1/4 of a whole boiled egg (just like her 1st time), she puked(vomited) in her nap. Then vomiting continued for 5 to 6 times in an hour. After this incident, I stopped giving egg. My pediatrician asked to try after completing 10 months, but I was really scared to try it again. Many of my readers pinged me that they had the same symptoms even after trying for multiple times before 11 months. So, I didn’t want to take risk especially in the COVID situation.
When & How I reintroduced egg?
Again, as per my pediatrician’s suggestion, I reintroduced egg after her 1st birthday. But my pediatrician suggested to reintroduce egg in baked form first and then gradually transition to direct cooked eggs. She also advised to start in small quantity and then to gradually increase the quantity and the concentration of egg in the recipes. The first recipe I tried is Banana Dates Bread(link) as it just uses 1 egg for 1.5 cup flour and so the concentration of egg in one single piece of bread is so less & felt ideal to start with. Make sure to introduce dates and banana before trying this recipe. Also, this recipe uses baking soda and so is not recommended for babies below one year. I gave a piece of this bread for 3 days. Then the next week, I gave Banana egg muffin and that had 2 eggs for 1.5 cup flour(link). Then increased the quantity from half muffin to 1 muffin. I gave these baked forms of egg for 1 month. Then I gave stove cooked egg in the form of pancake(link) and this too has less concentration of egg in 1 pancake. I gave this whole wheat pancake for 2 weeks (weekly twice). Once she was very comfortable, then finally I gave 1/4 of an omelet (thoroughly cooked) and was in much panic, on that day. To my surprise, her body accepted it very well. Then I increased to 1/2, then 3/4 and then 1 omelet. Finally, after a month, I gave 1/4 of a boiled egg with butterflies in my tummy as that made her puke in her early age. But it was a magic and she accepted it without any complaints. Then gradually I increased the quantity of boiled egg as well. By 2 years, she was very comfortable with eggs, and I started giving without any fear. But, every time, I made sure to cook it thoroughly. Believe me, most of our morning breakfast is egg and I am so happy that I was able to crack my baby’s egg allergy with the help of my lovely Pediatrician. Below is my kid’s breakfast plate at the age of 3 🙂
White or yellow?
The most FAQ is which one to introduce first in egg, white or yellow? Please ask your pediatrician about this and decide as egg (especially white) is a very common allergen for babies. Many pediatricians have many different views on starting egg for babies. Some say to start with white, some say to go with yellow and some say both! So, better discuss with your pediatrician & start giving egg accordingly as he/she is going to treat, if something goes wrong. But keep an eye on your baby whenever you give egg below one year. Hope this post helps.
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