Egg allergy testing and baked egg tolerance in children with egg FPIES
What it found
In 153 children with a delayed gut reaction to egg, allergy skin tests did not change how long it took to outgrow the problem.
But children who tested positive were more likely to have sudden allergic symptoms when trying egg again.
What they found
Studies in people
Allergy testing results
Out of 153 children, 124 had an allergy test for egg. Of those tested, 56 children (about 45%) showed signs of being sensitized to egg on their skin or blood tests.
Tolerance to baked egg
Of 48 children who tried baked egg, 30 (62.5%) could eat it without problems. They tried it after avoiding egg for a median of 20.5 months. In total, 22.9% of all 153 children could eat baked egg.
Time to outgrow the reaction
Having a positive allergy test did not make children wait longer to tolerate baked or unbaked egg. The time to outgrow the gut reaction was about the same whether children tested positive or negative.
Sudden allergic symptoms
When trying egg again, children with a positive allergy test sometimes had sudden symptoms like hives, vomiting right away, or breathing trouble. No child with a negative test or no test had these sudden symptoms.
Switching allergy types
At least 9.2% of the children switched from having only delayed gut sickness to also having sudden allergic reactions to egg. Children with a positive test were more likely to have other food allergies too.
What the authors conclude
- They suggest that allergy testing before trying egg again can help doctors spot children who might have sudden allergic reactions.
- The authors advise that children with a positive test should carry emergency medicine and be watched closely during food challenges.
- They call for future studies to find the best time to do allergy tests and to learn more about introducing baked egg.
How it was done
Some children get a delayed gut sickness called FPIES after eating egg. Doctors wanted to know if standard allergy tests could predict which children might later have sudden allergic reactions or take longer to outgrow the problem.
Doctors looked back at the medical records of 153 children diagnosed with egg FPIES at two clinics between 2008 and 2023. They checked allergy test results, whether children could eat baked egg, and what happened when they tried egg again.
What it can’t tell you
- Because this study looked back at past medical records, missing notes may have affected the results.
- It cannot show whether avoiding egg caused children to develop new allergies.
- Not every child tried baked egg, so the true number who can eat it might be higher.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by NIAID NIH HHS (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- Conflicts of interest: The authors declare they have no relevant conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pa; University of Pennsylvania, Pa; Dell Children's Medical Center, Tex
The paper
- Title
- Clinical Significance of Egg Sensitization in Pediatric Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome to Hen's Egg
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Navard-Keck A, Horn S, Brown-Whitehorn TF, Ruffner MA, Varshney P (2025). Clinical Significance of Egg Sensitization in Pediatric Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome to Hen's Egg. The journal of allergy and clinical immunology. In practice. doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2025.05.055Free full textPubMed 40484346DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error