When Baby Can Eat Egg?

                                                         

The Goodness of Egg Yolks & Whole Eggs for your Baby

Of the mere 5 grams of fat in an egg yolk, only 1.5 grams (31%) are saturated fat. Monounsaturated fats total 1.9 grams (38%) and polyunsaturated0.68 grams (14%). The ratio of an egg’s fat content comes close to meeting the dietary proportions currently recommended as: -1/3 saturated, 1/3 monounsaturated and 1/3 polyunsaturated.

The egg yolk contains the following:

• all of an egg’s vitamin A, D, and E;
• almost all the vitamin B12, choline, folic acid and vitamin B3;
• 76% of the biotin,
• 73% of the inositol,
• 50% of the niacin,
• 93% of the vitamin B6,
• 42% of the riboflavin,
• 90% of the thiamin
• 44% of the protein and substantial portions of the egg’s mineral.

                                        

When can I introduce Eggs to my baby?

Eggs, particularly the egg whites, are one of the top 8 of all allergens.  Most pediatric resources agree that egg yolks are fine for <the non-allergenic> baby to eat when baby is around 8 months old.  Please keep in mind that the egg whites should not be fed to baby before 1 year old. Many studies that have been done on infants with egg allergies find that by the time the infant has reached age 5, the allergy has been outgrown.  This is good news as the egg is highly nutritious and an important part of ones diet.

    Although solid foods should not be introduced before 6 months of age, there is no current convincing evidence that delaying their introduction beyond this period has a significant protective effect on the development of atopic disease regardless of whether infants are fed cow milk protein formula or human milk. This includes delaying the introduction of foods that are considered to be highly allergic, such as fish, eggs, and foods containing peanut protein.

     

Please be sure to discuss the introduction of potential allergenic foods with your pediatrician!