Egg allergy in babies occurs if the proteins in the egg yolk or white trigger a hypersensitivity reaction in their immune system. The condition is more likely in infants with one or both parents with the same allergy. The symptoms may or may not appear immediately after consuming eggs, leaving you confused about why your baby suddenly fell sick. You should check with a pediatrician if you suspect your baby is allergic to eggs. In the meantime, read this post to understand the symptoms of egg allergy in babies and the preventive steps you may take.
What Is Egg Allergy In Babies?
Your baby’s immune system works round-the-clock to protect your little one from parasites, bacteria, and viruses. However, as the immune system in babies is not fully developed, it cannot be as efficient as an adult’s.
The fundamental cause of an egg allergy in babies is the inability of the immune system to differentiate the egg proteins from disease-causing pathogens. The body sees the egg proteins as foreign invaders and mounts an attack by releasing antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE).
The cells sense the presence of IgE and promptly release histamines, resulting in skin rashes, runny nose, etc., which alert the individual or those around him about the presence of an allergy (1).
Your baby can develop an allergy to any form of the egg, be it raw, boiled, cooked or even loosely-cooked. Moreover, it can occur in breastfed babies if the mother eats egg (2).
Egg Proteins That Cause Allergy
Egg white and yolk contain proteins that can trigger an allergic reaction by the immune system.
Egg white proteins:
Ovomucoid Ovalbumin Ovotransferrin Lysozyme
Egg yolk proteins:
Livetin Apovitillin Phosvitin
Egg white is usually a more common cause of allergies than egg yolk. But why are some babies more vulnerable than others?
Risk Factors For Egg Allergy
Certain factors may put your baby at a risk of developing an allergy towards eggs. If your baby comes under any of the above three categories, you need to be extra cautious. Do not ignore the symptoms, if you think your baby is allergic to eggs.
Signs And Symptoms Of Egg Allergy In Babies
The signs of an egg allergy in babies can be very similar to a conventional illness and may take a few minutes to an hour to show.
Extreme abdominal pain to the point the muscles get severely cramped.
Swollen throat muscles that constrict the airways, thus making it difficult for the baby to breathe.
Rapid heartbeat and an increase in pulse rate.
A sudden bout of increased pulse will follow a drastic drop in the blood pressure, making the baby feel dizzy due to less blood being pumped to the brain. Eventually, he might lose consciousness.
Anaphylaxis can be fatal and requires immediate medical intervention. While these are the symptoms of egg allergy, there could be other complications due to the allergy, because egg allergy may not always come alone.
Egg Allergy And Complications
Egg allergy could lead to other allergies or conditions mainly as a manifestation of certain complications. Your baby may or may not show such complications, but they have a higher risk of displaying the following symptoms:
Allergies towards fur, dust, dust mites and pollen.
Allergies towards other foods, usually rich in proteins, like milk, soy, peanuts and fish.
Development of atopic dermatitis or eczema as a severe form of skin hives.
Long term shortness of breath or asthma.
These problems often occur as an extension of the egg allergy symptoms, and it is quite likely that treatment may alleviate these complications. When you see one or more of the above symptoms or complications, do not assume things but take your baby to a doctor, who will diagnose the exact cause. It is important to get it tested before concluding that the baby has egg allergy.
Diagnosis Of Egg Allergy
The doctor will analyze your baby’s diet and history of illness and other allergies. Most commonly, he will employ the following procedures: Your doctor will suggest an appropriate treatment based on the result of the diagnosis.
Treatment Of Egg Allergy In Babies
The treatment will depend on the severity of the allergic reaction. The physician will aim at trimming down the number of symptoms and their intensity so that the baby does not face any threat to his life. There are two courses of treatment for egg allergy in babies: Epinephrine auto-injector is a self-administered intramuscular injection that administers epinephrine when dabbed to the skin with a certain force. Your pediatrician will educate you about spotting anaphylaxis and prescribe your baby a certain number of epinephrine auto-injectors that you must keep handy. When you notice your baby getting into an anaphylactic shock, dab the auto-injector into the baby’s thigh where a needle delivers epinephrine to the body through the muscle. The baby may stop showing the symptoms after a course of treatment. But since there is no cure for egg allergy, avoiding egg is the only way to keep your baby free from harm.
Egg Derivatives Found In Food
You need to avoid not just the egg but also foods that have egg in it. Many over-the-shelf food items contain a derivative of egg white or yolk. Following are such ingredients for which you need to check the label every time you buy various food items:
Powdered egg Albumin Globulin Livetin Lysozyme Ovalbumin Ovoglobulin Ovomucoid Ovotransferrin Ovovitella Silici Albuminate Simplesse Ovovitellin Vitellin
Following are some food products that may contain egg:
Baked products like cake, pastries, rusk, certain bread, etc. Ice cream Pudding and custards Mayonnaise and salad dressings Dressing on fried meat like fried chicken Pasta Sauces
The egg is nutritious and contains a high amount of proteins. Therefore, you need to find alternatives, so that your baby is not deprived of the goodness of egg.
Healthy Replacement For Eggs
Following are certain foods that make a great substitute for eggs.
Meat: Meat from poultry is a great way of replacing an egg in the diet when you have a breastfed baby allergic to egg or a baby above six months who can be fed on meat. It is a great source of zinc and dietary minerals that help a baby grow better (5). You can feed meat in a pureed form and once your baby is old enough to chew, you can start with solid nugget size meat pieces.
Legumes: Legumes or dal has proteins in abundance. You may boil it with rice, make a paste or puree depending on the age of your baby.
Nuts: Nuts are an amazing source of vitamins and good cholesterol and thus make a great substitute for eggs.
Leafy vegetables: Leafy vegetables are a good source of minerals and vitamins.
A caveat: You must check whether or not your baby is allergic to the said food items before feeding them to him.
Tips On Prevention Of Egg Allergies In Babies
Egg allergy does not have a definite cure and every treatment is targeted towards the mitigation of the symptoms. Here are some tips which can help you prevent allergies among babies.
Introduce egg early in life: Research has shown that introduction of a food item early in a baby’s life can reduce the chances of developing an allergy (6). This usually happens by the desensitization of the body’s immune system towards the food item. Over a period, the immune system can identify the proteins in the egg as harmless and thus stops attacking them with an antibody response. Image: Shutterstock
Attempts while breastfeeding: A breastfeeding mother may avoid egg to prevent an allergic reaction in her baby. However, research has shown that it is not always necessary to avoid allergic foods when breastfeeding because breast milk strengthens the immune system of the baby. This means the system becomes more competent at differentiating between proteins and pathogens. You may use this prevention measure on a trial and error basis.
Immunotherapy: In this treatment, the baby receives some egg over a period to desensitize the immune system (7). The treatment begins with a small dose, followed by incremental doses at fixed time intervals. The baby’s condition is monitored and if he shows a complete withdrawal of the allergy symptoms, he is declared safe to consume the food.
The above-mentioned measures were arrived at after conducting tests in a controlled environment. Therefore, we advise you to consult a pediatrician before adopting any prevention measure for egg allergy in your infant.
Tips On Controlling Egg Allergy
Many babies outgrow their allergy over a period. Many times, the allergy persists until adolescence and then disappears. Here are some useful tips that can help you control egg allergy in your baby: Dr. Andrea Wadley, MD, IBCLC, a physician and lactation consultant from Colleyville, Texas, says, “Most babies outgrow their egg allergy over time. Generally, about half of egg-allergic children no longer react to egg protein by school age. About two-thirds of egg-allergic children can tolerate eggs baked in things like cakes, cookies, and pasta. Heating the egg to baked temperatures will denature the main protein that causes an allergic reaction in these children.” You can avoid any egg preparations for your baby to prevent problems for him. But what about the medicines that contain eggs? Can you afford to avoid them too?
Egg Allergy And Vaccinations
Certain vaccines use egg whites or yolks during their manufacturing process. Some vaccines use avian or bird cells, which could also expose your baby to proteins that are found in egg. However, modern formulations of the vaccines eliminate the use of the egg completely. Here are some of the common vaccines that could expose your baby to egg proteins:
Influenza (flu) vaccine: If your baby displayed skin hives as the only allergic reaction to eggs, then he can safely have an influenza vaccine (11). The latest advancements in the vaccine making process have ensured a minimal use of eggs. This lets babies with even elaborate egg allergies receive a vaccination but they may have to stay under a doctor’s observation for at least an hour after vaccination (12). There are also influenza vaccines available that do not use bird cells in the making process thus offsetting the presence of egg proteins.
Yellow fever and typhus vaccine: Yellow fever and typhus vaccine have a substantial amount of egg protein in its formulation. But these vaccines are not part of the routine immunization schedule of a baby and are only given when you are traveling to those parts of the globe that have a presence of these diseases (13). This vaccine is generally not recommended for babies with egg allergies but you may administer it under medical supervision.
Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine: MMR vaccine is quite safe even for babies with severe egg allergies (14). There have been substantial studies that prove the safety of these vaccines.
Remember to consult the pediatrician about vaccination. Also, share your baby’s egg allergy history with the physician so that he can decide if the vaccine is safe, or provide you with an alternative vaccine.
