What Is Egg Allergy?

Allergy to egg is common in infants and young children and less common in older children and adults. Most children outgrow their egg allergy (71% by age 6 ),¹ although some people stay allergic to egg throughout their lives.

When a person with an egg allergy eats egg, proteins in the egg bind to specific IgE antibodies made by the person’s immune system. This triggers an allergic reaction, leading to symptoms that can be mild or severe.

Approximately 70% of children with egg allergy can eat baked egg.² This is because heat disrupts the protein responsible for the allergy. Always speak to your allergist before trying baked egg products at home.

Experts estimate that as many as 2 percent of children are allergic to eggs.

Allergic Reactions to Egg

Symptoms of an egg allergy reaction can range from mild, such as hives, to severe, such as anaphylaxis. Allergic reactions can be unpredictable, and even very small amounts of egg can cause one.

If you have an egg allergy, always keep an epinephrine delivery device with you. Epinephrine is the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis.

Avoiding Egg

To prevent a reaction, avoid egg and egg products. Always read food labels and ask questions about ingredients before eating food that you have not prepared yourself.

Egg whites contain the proteins that usually cause the allergic reaction, but you must avoid the yolk too because it is impossible to separate the egg white completely from the yolk.

If you are allergic to eggs from chickens, your doctor may recommend you also avoid eggs from other birds such as duck, geese, turkey, and quail since the proteins in these eggs are similar.

Egg is one of the nine major allergens that must be listed in plain language on packaged foods sold in the U.S., as required by federal law, either within the ingredient list or in a separate “Contains” statement on the package. This makes it easy to see if egg is present in a food item.

Will my child outgrow their egg allergy?

Ingestion of baked forms of eggs may help lead to tolerance or resolution of the allergy with time.³ Be sure to speak to your child’s allergist about a formal baked egg challenge before trying at home.

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