If your baby has an egg allergy, they are not alone. An egg allergy is one of the most common food allergies in babies and children in the United States. In fact, roughly 2% of children under the age of 5 experience allergy symptoms after consuming eggs or food products that include eggs. Egg allergies are also something the majority of children outgrow. By the time 70% of egg allergy patients turn eight years old, they will have outgrown the allergy. That percentage only increases as patients age—only 0.1 to 0.6% of patients maintain or develop an egg allergy in adulthood.
The first time your baby shows signs of an egg allergy, even if the reaction is mild, it can be scary to witness. If the symptoms are severe, it can be downright terrifying. Let’s look at ways to navigate your baby’s egg allergy and offer tips to ensure their safety at every meal.
Signs of an Egg Allergy in a Baby
If your baby has an egg allergy, their reactions are going to be similar to the responses an older child or even an adult would have.
Egg allergies lead to symptoms that can affect the mouth, throat, airways, lungs, eyes, face, skin, and digestive system in many negative ways. Signs to pay attention with your baby include:
- Watery eyes
- Facial swelling
- Rashes and hives
- Nasal congestion
- Breathing difficulties
- Excessive coughing and wheezing
- Excessive sneezing
- Swollen lips, tongue, or throat
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- General upset or inconsolable crying
These symptoms can range from mild to life-threateningly severe. Babies can experience anaphylaxis, the most severe allergy reaction or series of responses possible. If your baby shows signs of a food allergy after eating an egg or any other food item, seek medical attention immediately. Once your child’s symptoms are under control, you should also partner with a trusted allergist and begin a treatment plan to help you and your baby navigate their egg allergy and encourage their body to outgrow it.
Why Is My Baby Reacting to Eggs?
Babies with egg allergies have immune systems that overact to some of the proteins found in eggs, especially in egg whites. The immune system can interpret one or more of the egg proteins as threatening intruders and will signal a chain of reactions in the body to flush the proteins out as soon as possible.
An egg allergy is always IgE-mediated, meaning a sensitive immune system will always produce immunoglobin E (IgE) antibodies in response to egg protein in the system. These antibodies signal the production of histamine, which causes allergy symptoms to develop.
There are many types of proteins found in egg whites, but there are five primary ones that are most likely to trigger allergy responses in your baby:
- Ovomucoid
- Ovalbumin
- Ovotransferrin
- Lysozyme
- Ovomucin
Egg yolks have fewer disruptive proteins, although some babies may be sensitive to the yolk’s alpha-livetin protein.
How Can I Protect My Baby From Experiencing an Allergic Reaction?
There are many steps you can take to help your baby avoid an allergic reaction to eggs. These steps include:
1. Avoid Eggs and Products Containing Eggs
The first and most crucial step to helping your baby avoid egg allergy symptoms is not to feed them eggs or any products that contain eggs.
As your baby explores new foods, it can be easy to help them avoid eggs. It becomes trickier the older they get, as you will want to continue introducing new foods and new food products to them. Read food labels carefully, and be sure to prepare foods at home without using eggs in the recipes.
2. Have an Epinephrine Pen Ready at All Times
You can be as diligent as possible about what your child does and does not eat. However, unintentional egg consumption can happen at any moment. Whether you accidentally feed your baby a product affected by cross-contamination, someone hands your baby an egg-containing product without knowing their allergy, or your baby grabs a food item off the table without you realizing it, your child could begin experiencing mild to severe allergies.
It’s critical to have epinephrine (like an EpiPen) on hand for emergencies because, again, you never know when you might need it.
3. Inform Everyone in Your Baby’s Life About Their Egg Allergy
Clear communication is key to protecting your baby from experiencing egg allergy symptoms. Tell everyone who interacts with your baby about their allergy so each person will know that they should not come in contact with eggs or egg products.
People you can inform include:
- Family members
- Babysitters
- Daycare workers
- Volunteer nursery workers at church, temple, or other place of worship
- Anyone who interacts with your baby
4. Partner With a Trusted Allergist
A skilled allergist can help you and your baby navigate their egg allergy and begin building a tolerance to outgrow the allergy sooner rather than later. Your allergist will offer the medications you need to help manage your baby’s symptoms, and they will put you on a tolerance induction program designed to slowly and safely desensitize your baby to eggs and egg-containing products.
Want to learn more about how to navigate your baby’s egg allergy? Talk to the team at Langford Allergy for safe and effective egg allergy treatment.
Dr. Langford, Dr. Mathew, and our team of allergy specialists are dedicated to helping babies with egg allergies stay safe with every meal or snack. Food allergies can be frightening, but there are treatments and management plans that can help keep your baby safe and free of reactions.
Schedule an appointment to talk with us about your baby’s egg allergy today: 478-787-4728
Langford Allergy delivers allergy, asthma, and immunodeficiency care to patients throughout Middle Georgia, including:
- Bonaire, GA
- Byron, GA
- Forsyth, GA
- Fort Valley, GA
- Gray, GA
- Macon, GA
- Milledgeville, GA
- Perry, GA
- Warner Robins, GA
And other surrounding areas.
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