Egg allergy in children and when to introduce egg
What it found
Egg allergy is one of the most common food allergies in children, and studies in infants suggest that giving well-cooked egg from around 6 months may help prevent it.
Raw or pasteurized egg should be avoided at weaning.
What they found
Studies in people
How common egg allergy is
Egg allergy affects between 1.6% and 10.1% of people in Western countries, and as many as 9.5% of children. It usually starts before the first birthday.
Outgrowing egg allergy
Many children outgrow egg allergy. Up to 80% of cases resolve by 3 years of age, and 38% to 90% of children outgrow it within 5 to 6 years. Allergy to baked egg is outgrown by 94% of patients by age 12.
Early introduction and prevention
In one trial, infants with eczema given small amounts of cooked egg had less egg allergy at 1 year (8%) than those given placebo (38%). Another trial found egg allergy in 1.4% of infants introduced to egg early versus 5.5% with standard introduction.
Raw egg and risk
Early exposure to raw or pasteurized egg was linked with anaphylaxis in some studies. One trial found more egg allergy in infants given pasteurized egg than placebo, though the difference was not statistically significant.
Other findings
Guidelines on timing
Recent guidelines suggest introducing well-cooked egg between 4 and 6 months of age, but not before 4 months. Raw or uncooked pasteurized egg should not be given.
Nutrition without egg
Avoiding egg reduces intake of B vitamins and vitamin D. Egg yolk contains nutrients important for brain development, such as choline and phospholipids.
What the authors conclude
“In agreement with the most recent guidelines ( Table 3 ), we suggest that HE or HE-containing products should be a regular part of the diet from around 6 months of age, and they should not be introduced earlier than 4 months of age.”
Also in their conclusions
- They suggest that egg or egg-containing products should be a regular part of the diet from around 6 months of age, and not introduced earlier than 4 months.
- They advise giving well-cooked egg, such as baked or boiled, starting with small amounts, while avoiding any raw or pasteurized egg-containing products.
- They recommend that infants with moderate to severe eczema or food allergy have an egg skin-prick test before egg is introduced, and if positive, the first egg intake should be under medical supervision.
How it was done
Egg allergy is common in children and can cause serious reactions, so the authors wanted to review how diet in the first year might prevent it.
The authors reviewed published studies, guidelines and clinical experience on egg allergy, nutrition and infant feeding. They looked at trials that introduced egg to infants at different ages.
What it can’t tell you
- The trials used different types and amounts of egg, so it is hard to compare them directly.
- Most trials did not test whether early egg introduction prevents allergy in the long term, beyond 1 to 3 years of age.
- The review cannot show whether early egg introduction works for all children, including those without eczema or family history of allergy.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- University of Parma, Italy; Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Italy; University of Bologna, Italy
The paper
- Title
- Egg Allergy in Children and Weaning Diet
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Caffarelli C, Giannetti A, Rossi A, Ricci G (2022). Egg Allergy in Children and Weaning Diet. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu14081540Free full textPubMed 35458102DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error