Egg Allergy

Updated on October 27, 2008
M.S. asks from Dover, NH
15 answers

We just had my 10 month old daughter tested and found out she is allergic to eggs (yolk and white). We did the test after the poor thing vomited each time she tried egg (peds had said okay not to wait until 1 year). We haven't tested her for anything else, but she doesn't seem to have problems with anything else. I am breastfeeding, and unable to find much advice about whether I should also stop eating eggs, to decrease any potential allergens in my milk. Or perhaps it's beneficial, like the positive innoculation of allergy shots. No straight answer yet. Anybody else with egg-allergic kids? Also wondering if your kids truly outgrew the allergy, which is what most sources say. I only know one other child who had an egg allergy, and rather than outgrowing it, at age 6 he is now allergic to soy, shellfish, treenuts, and still eggs. One source I read said that some people with egg allergy also cross react to a protein in chicken. Any advice/experience much appreciated.
Thanks,
M.

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So What Happened?

Thanks so much for the responses! Now my question is, what allergist do you recommend in the NH Seacoast area (or not)? I have an appointment with the one recommended by peds, but it isn't for 2.5 months! We're willing to drive farther away if there is somebody great to go to, and Boston is certainly within that range. In the meantime, while we are waiting to be seen, I will certainly cut out all eggs (already have been since we found out). These repsonses make me wonder if I should be avoiding other common allergenic foods, like peanuts. Unfortunately, PB is one of my staples!

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D.K.

answers from Boston on

my 5 yr old has a contact egg allergy. What that means is if he touches it he breaks out in huge hives. He can eat cooked eggs such as in baked good etc. He has no problem with chicken, but the Ped will not give him his second MMR immunization because its very DANGEROUS to kids with any egg allergy. He has had this for two years and shows no sign yet of it getting better (or worse though either). Hang in there!

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K.F.

answers from Hartford on

Hi,
My son was allergic to eggs. He always got an angry red rash around his mouth. He did outgrow the allergy by the age of 2. Now he won't eat them anyway. Ha ha.

He was able to eat eggs that were cooked into foods without any problem but had to avoid any actual eggs, or anything made with an egg "glaze" [some bakeries use an eggwhite glaze to make their cookies shiny].

I was breastfeeding, too, and his allergist said not to worry about my diet. Allergists go back and forth on whether avoiding it in your diet helps or hurts. The opinion we got was that the tiny little amount in my milk might actually be helpful. You should ask yours, though.

Good luck! Egg is one that most kids grow out of...

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K.D.

answers from Boston on

Hi M.
My son has multiple food allergy including Eggs, When I was breastfeeding I had to avoid all the allergins(Pedis orders). With an Egg allergy you also need to be careful of the childhood shots some have egg in them. Most kids outgrow them but only time will tell. It isnt an exact science.You will learn as you go. My son had his first reaction at 4months and Im still learning,now hes 14months.
K.

P.S
About the cross catamination with chicken , my son is allergic to milk and they say the same about beef and milk allergy and hes fine eating it:)

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L.Q.

answers from Boston on

I am allergic to eggs both white and yolk as well. I would say if you are breast feeding with a child allergic to eggs then yes you also should stay away from them! I was told I could eat eggbeaters though and I seem to be fine when I do eat them. But I don't eat them often because I hate them...lol! I love eggs too and miss them so. I will sometimes eat them when I crave them but then I suffer. I get bad belly aches and diarrhea from them.

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C.H.

answers from Boston on

don't eat eggs while nursing. My daughter has a peanut allergy, and I had to stop eating all nuts, eggs and fish until she was done nursing. Our ped. recommended not giving her any other foods that have a common allergy (i.e. eggs, nuts and fish/ shellfish) until she was over 3 as to not provoke any more reactions to any other foods. Its a pain the butt to try to feed the kid some days, but you do what you have to do! Good luck!

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A.H.

answers from Boston on

I can't give advice whether or not YOU should stop eating eggs...I would though. We found out that our daughter was allergic to eggs when she was 7. (They did a blood test for allergies.) She has not grown out of her egg allergy. I think she is getting more sensitive. But maybe that is just me being more aware of her symptoms. I am happy for you that you found out this early. She won't develop a taste for all the "good stuff" :)
Good Luck,
A.

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L.S.

answers from Boston on

M.,
I hope you can outgrow allergies, but I wanted to share my experience with you. I was allergic to eggs and milk as a child and had supposedly 'outgrown' them by age 6 or 7, so I began eating them again. Last year (at age 38), after being sick for almost 2 years, they found that I was off-the-charts allergic to milk, eggs and now gluten. My allergist said that sometimes the symptoms lie dormant but can still harm your body. Left untreated, they can do serious harm to your immune system, etc until you can't ignore it any longer. I don't know if you CAN outgrow allergies, and I'm the only freak that had them come back. But it may be a good question for you allergist/immunologist. Honestly, I hope she CAN outgrow them and have a wonderful, egg-ful life. Just wanted to give you a heads up and maybe save you and your daughter from going through this again down the road. Best of Luck!

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S.T.

answers from Boston on

My son (14 months) is allergic to milk, eggs and peanuts. I have eliminated peanuts from my diet since they are no longer in our house anyway, and I have noticed a reaction (he gets eczema) when I eat egg, so I stay away from egg too (except in baked things, where the protein is broken down). I have not eliminated milk from my diet since he shows no signs of distress when I drink milk. My allergist told us the proteins are broken down in breast milk and so, if the child shows no reaction to the protein, it is okay for you to keep eating the food. I have read these posts and it seems like different people are being told different things, I think the best thing to do would be to have a consultation with your allergist. My allergist plans on retesting my son at age 2 (he was first tested at 6 mos) Good luck!

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B.K.

answers from Boston on

I would cut out eggs as long as you are breastfeeding. The egg protein can get into the milk. My son is allergic to nuts, and our allergist said the best chance he has of outgrowing the allergy is complete avoidance of the proteins he reacts to. I know families where kids have outgrown the egg allergy and others that haven't. I think if she is allergic only to eggs, she probably has a better chance of outgrowing it.

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B.M.

answers from Boston on

Hi M.- I have twins, (now 9 yrs!), and when they were infants, one of them was allergic to soy, eggs, and dairy. I was breast-feeding, and had to eliminate those things from my diet, so it wasn't passed through my milk to my daughter. People with egg allergies can often eat products with egg in them if they are cooked for a long time ( a cake versus pancakes or cookies), because the cooking process breaks down the protein, so the longer it's cooked, the more the protein is broken down. So, you might be able to eat things with eggs in them if they've been cooked a long time.
I haven't heard about a cross-reaction to chicken. I suppose it could be possible. Anything's possible in the allergy world.
My daughter did outgrow all those allergies, by the way, slowly, but definitely by age 2. Avoidance is the best way to help the body heal. Continual exposure to the allergen constantly irritates the body, so it continue to react.
Our allergist's name is Dr. Ann Wang-Dohlman. Her office is located at Newton-Wellesley hosp. Her phone is ###-###-####, if you're interested in working with a pediatric allergist. Good luck!

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T.L.

answers from Boston on

Hello. My daughter also has an egg allergy. She actually has multiple allergies but egg is one of her worst. She did react when I ate milk (while breastfeeding) but not as severely so I had to cut it out as well. She is also allergic to chicken but it's only a mild allergy so we're able to incorporate it into her rotation diet. I don't have any personal experience about the outgrowing in part - she's only four and still highly allergic. I would just encourage you to do your reading and research about allergies so you can understand and deal with them better. And don't worry about her being deprived of all those yummy baked goods - they can all be made without egg!

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M.B.

answers from New London on

Hi M.. My two year old daughter was diagnosed with egg and peanut allergies. We assumed both by around ten months because she developed a rash around her mouth when exposed to both things...We have NO allergies in our families so we totally surprised and had no idea what to do. I did not stop eating eggs or peanuts while I nursed her and apparently (said the allergist) this neither increased or decreased her issues. She will be tested every 6 months to see if the allergies are being outgrown--the doctor assumes she will outgrow the egg pretty quickly and we think it is happening already. She tested as being not very allergic overall, so is not likely to develop lots of others, did your daughter have that general test? Over the past several months we have adjusted to the allergies--we are now the parents that stand in the food aisles reading labels; so many things are made in factories that process eggs! I have lots of recipes for baked goods without eggs (brownies, pancakes, cake/cupcake, etc.) and it's getting easier every day...I would be happy to share some of these with you if you'd like. Good luck!! M.

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S.R.

answers from Hartford on

M.,
My son was diagnosed with an egg allergy (both yolk and white) shortly after he turned one. I believe I still nursed him for a short time and wasn't advised not to eat eggs. I never thought to ask. My son's allergy is a little different. He doesn't vomit but gets small hives on his skin wherever he has touched something with egg. The pediatrician gave us an epipen just in case. We had him tested for other allergens and he had a small reaction to chicken and milk as well as full blown reaction to lamb. We are vegetarians so the chicken and lamb were not a big deal. He hasn't had any symptoms with the milk so the allergist said it was OK for him to still drink it. He is now 4 and I am considering having him retested. He has had a few accidental exposures with no reaction. Also, I would like to discuss with a doctor the theory of gradual exposure to build up immunity. I read an article about it and it seemed to make sense. It is a pain. I am sure you are well aware of how prevalent eggs are in food. Since we don't eat meat it really limits his diet. Luckily he is a great eater. Our doctor said the chance to outgrow the allergy is about 50%. Good luck with the odds. I don't know if any of that info is helpful but I can definitely commiserate. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

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L.P.

answers from Boston on

Hi M.,

My son is allergic to egg as well, and although I knew he can't get a flu shot, we learned he could react to the MMR so we're waiting. When he does get it we'll either break it up into seperate shots or do it at the allergist's (or both, our pediatrician is still researching the safest solution.)
Good luck, I'm finding it's a pretty manageable allergy as long as you read all the labels, you learn quickly what is safe to eat.

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