Egg Allergy !!??

Lette · July 8th, 2004, 10:44 AM

At my son's 9 month appointment, the ped said to give him more table foods, including eggs, pasta, etc. Last Sunday I cooked him an egg and he tried it and more ended up on the floor than anything. This past Sunday, he ate a great bit more.

.... then I noticed welts or hives next to his mouth!!!

and he had some red blotches on his face as well. It cleared up in a bit and we weren't sure it was from the eggs, so Jim decided to get him to eat another piece to be sure.

He then went down for his nap and woke up very shortly afterwards. His eyes were all red and his nose looked swollen.

I gave him some tylenol.. Geeze I felt bad. He looked terrible.

Since it was a holiday I didn't call the ped.

And he was acting normal otherwise.

The next day he had a rash all over his belly and torso. Nowhere else. It went away so I never got to call the ped. I probably should have and may do so today from work.

Anyone know anything about egg allergies in infants?
Will he always be allergic to eggs, or will he grow out of it?

The thing that got me was that he's had baby food that contains egg yolks and never had a problem. Could it possibly be from the whites?

harmonielyn · July 8th, 2004, 10:52 AM

Did his Ped say to give him egg whites? or did he say eggs meaning just the yolk? I thought most books/peds say not to give egg whites until after a year old because of allergies?

Lette · July 8th, 2004, 11:18 AM

Oh boy, I really feel stupid now.

I can't remember exactly what the ped said, but now I'm reading not to give egg whites.

Funny, with my daughter I knew what to give and not to give. Much more time for reading when you only have one child.

Anyone know if he'll now be prone to having an egg allergy later on?

harmonielyn · July 8th, 2004, 11:29 AM

I really dont know but I would think not. I dont know if its like other foods where he might only have a reaction once. Madison had a reaction to bananas when she was about 5 months but now she can have it with no problem.

Lette · July 8th, 2004, 11:30 AM

Thanks Harmonie!!

I did just speak with my ped and she said not to worry. It was only a local reaction and not aniphalactic with wheezing and coughing.

He either has an egg allergy or not. It's nothing I could have introduced. Wheew.

She told me to bring it up at his 1 year appointment and we'll take it from there.

Cortney · July 8th, 2004, 06:20 PM

Morgan has this 'issue' and can't eat plain eggs or anything with a strong egg content. (breakfast casseroles, etc)

Brandi · July 8th, 2004, 11:31 PM

Carter has/had an egg allergy.

We introduced eggs at 1 year. His symptoms included: hives around his mouth, swollen and red eyes, and vomiting. He never had a rash on his torso though.

We had him tested because at the time, we weren't sure if it was eggs or milk. He was tested for milk, soy, egg whites, and egg yolks. This was a blood test. It came back positive for an allergy to egg whites, yolks, and milk. Upon further investigation on our part, we found he was not allergic to milk. We took him to a children's allergist and they did the skin test. He was tested for the same things, plus we threw in peanuts (that was really nice to find out he wasn't allergic to peanuts). It came back with the same results. The doctor told us that many times, especially in young children, the tests will come back with false positives. Strange, but I'm pretty sure that's what happened with the milk results.

Carter had a problem with eggs in anything: custard, cake, noodles, etc... But, the doctor said that some kids have problems with just the eggs themselves - or with milk for that matter. I would wait until 1 year for the egg whites. But you might experiment with the egg yolks. I was worried to test him with the eggs because I had heard that if you keep giving them something they are allergic to, they could all of a sudden have a big blow out reaction. That scared me, so I wanted the test done. Then, when we got the false positive on milk, I was confused. We just totally stayed away from eggs. The doctor told us to have him rechecked in 1 year. Well, that year has come and gone, and we haven't tested him again, but we are slowly introducing eggs again and he is doing wonderful. He hasn't had any type of reaction at all and he's had cookies, custard, noodles, and actual eggs cooked in fried rice.

The doctor wouldn't tell me that he would grow out of it, but she said that many children do. I think it's more like MOST children outgrow their allergies. BUT, some don't. So, you just never know. I can only hope that you guys don't have to deal with it forever.

But, also, an egg allergy isn't that terrible. I would ask for some information from your doctor. The allergist gave us a folder full of information and I'm not sure where I put it all. Some of the things that I remember having the most problems with are:
pasta (MANY restuarants make their own pasta so you have to be careful about the eggs) - Fazoli's spaghetti is OKAY!
cookies and cake (Chips Ahoy are okay and most animal crackers, I think. But vanilla wafers are not okay - I thought they would be)
Pancakes, waffles, and all that yummy breakfast stuff
Custard and some ice creams. All Baskin Robbins ice cream has eggs except strawberry and their soft serve stuff.
I THINK that chicken nuggest at Arbys, Wendy's, and McDonalds are all okay. But some places have eggs in the batter.

We basically had to ask about every single thing that we ordered from a restuarant. It was a pain, but I really stuck with it. Some people were like "uh.... I don't know!" Most of the time, they can go check on the packages that the food came in or go ask a chef in the back. I just let them know that my son is allergic to eggs and he could have a serious reaction if he ate anything. If they don't know and can't find out, then we stayed away from it.

Good news - when you are cooking at home, there is something you can use instead. We have some stuff called "Egg Replacer" (it's a powder) - we have made many things with this and couldn't tell the difference. I wouldn't use it for something that called for a lot of eggs, like an omelet (can't imagine what that would taste like), but it's great for things that only call for a couple of eggs.

Be very careful of any of those products that appear to be egg replacements like EGG BEATERS. These are almost ALL eggs. I think they are just slightly modified to get rid of the cholesterol in the eggs. I would just read the labels.

Well, this might be way more info than you need, but I thought I'd get it all out so just in case you were interested, it's here for you (or others).

OH - the allergist also prescribed us an epi-pen jr. for Carter just in case. We've never had to use it, but it's nice to have. You could ask your doctor about that.

And - don't assume because you tell people that your child is allergic to eggs that they won't feed them something with eggs in it. Carter was fed cookies and cake at our church before. People just don't realize how many things eggs could be in. I always ask what the kids are having for snacks and many times, I just bring something with me in case he can't eat whatever they are serving. I also make sure they know what his reactions are so that if they see those hives around his mouth, they can wipe off his mouth and STOP giving him the food.

Good luck!

harmonielyn · July 8th, 2004, 11:41 PM

Wow Brandi! Im sorry you had to deal with all of that. Everything you said will be extremely helpful to us. I havent started Madison on any kind of egg yet. All of that info is great to have stored in your brain just in case.

AllyRae · July 8th, 2004, 11:53 PM

One thing I'd look into is vaccines.... There are some vaccines (the flu, maybe...I can't remember which ones) that people with egg allergies can't get. I'd make sure you know which ones and have that knowledge when you go to the doctor the next time.

I hope your little one's ok!

Brandi · July 9th, 2004, 10:28 AM

Actually, Carter had the flu shot before we knew about his egg allergy and he was totally fine. When we went to get the next one, we were told that it would be fine, but we waited around just in case. I guess for some reason, even if they are allergic to eggs, they can still get the shot. Now, maybe for someone who is SERIOUSLY allergic to eggs, it might be a problem. But it wasn't at all for Carter and I've read that it shouldn't be a problem for most kids.

Lette · July 9th, 2004, 01:43 PM

Brandi... Thanks so much for posting all of that information!!!

It truly is helpful!

I myself was wondering what shot used eggs

and for some reason I thought it was the Chicken Pox Vaccine. Wonder why?

Brandi · July 10th, 2004, 12:44 AM

I think the chicken pox vaccine may have the egg component too. That sounds right to me. I'm pretty sure the flu shot does though too. There may have been another one too. I think it has to do more with the process in which the vaccines are created than actually containing eggs. It's like the process used in making root beer and also some wines use eggs - weird, huh? It's all the little things that you learn when you have to deal with this stuff. I'll have to see if I can find all that info and mail it to you. Let me see what I can dig up. I know we threw some of it away since it didn't have anything to do with our situation, but I'll see if we still have any of it around.

July 8th, 2004, 10:44 AM	#1
Lette Registered but not Subscribed Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: East Coast Posts: 10,333	Egg Allergy !!?? At my son's 9 month appointment, the ped said to give him more table foods, including eggs, pasta, etc. Last Sunday I cooked him an egg and he tried it and more ended up on the floor than anything. This past Sunday, he ate a great bit more. .... then I noticed welts or hives next to his mouth!!! and he had some red blotches on his face as well. It cleared up in a bit and we weren't sure it was from the eggs, so Jim decided to get him to eat another piece to be sure. He then went down for his nap and woke up very shortly afterwards. His eyes were all red and his nose looked swollen. I gave him some tylenol.. Geeze I felt bad. He looked terrible. Since it was a holiday I didn't call the ped. And he was acting normal otherwise. The next day he had a rash all over his belly and torso. Nowhere else. It went away so I never got to call the ped. I probably should have and may do so today from work. Anyone know anything about egg allergies in infants? Will he always be allergic to eggs, or will he grow out of it? The thing that got me was that he's had baby food that contains egg yolks and never had a problem. Could it possibly be from the whites?

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July 8th, 2004, 10:52 AM	#2
harmonielyn Registered but not Subscribed Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Loo-ee-zee-anna Posts: 7,905	Did his Ped say to give him egg whites? or did he say eggs meaning just the yolk? I thought most books/peds say not to give egg whites until after a year old because of allergies?

July 8th, 2004, 11:18 AM	#3
Lette Registered but not Subscribed Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: East Coast Posts: 10,333	Oh boy, I really feel stupid now. I can't remember exactly what the ped said, but now I'm reading not to give egg whites. Funny, with my daughter I knew what to give and not to give. Much more time for reading when you only have one child. Anyone know if he'll now be prone to having an egg allergy later on?

July 8th, 2004, 11:29 AM	#4
harmonielyn Registered but not Subscribed Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Loo-ee-zee-anna Posts: 7,905	I really dont know but I would think not. I dont know if its like other foods where he might only have a reaction once. Madison had a reaction to bananas when she was about 5 months but now she can have it with no problem.

July 8th, 2004, 11:30 AM	#5
Lette Registered but not Subscribed Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: East Coast Posts: 10,333	Thanks Harmonie!! I did just speak with my ped and she said not to worry. It was only a local reaction and not aniphalactic with wheezing and coughing. He either has an egg allergy or not. It's nothing I could have introduced. Wheew. She told me to bring it up at his 1 year appointment and we'll take it from there.

July 8th, 2004, 06:20 PM	#6
Cortney Registered but not Subscribed Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: NC Posts: 3,155	Morgan has this 'issue' and can't eat plain eggs or anything with a strong egg content. (breakfast casseroles, etc)

July 8th, 2004, 11:31 PM	#7
Brandi Registered but not Subscribed Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: They donate to your favorite charity! Posts: 6,197	Carter has/had an egg allergy. We introduced eggs at 1 year. His symptoms included: hives around his mouth, swollen and red eyes, and vomiting. He never had a rash on his torso though. We had him tested because at the time, we weren't sure if it was eggs or milk. He was tested for milk, soy, egg whites, and egg yolks. This was a blood test. It came back positive for an allergy to egg whites, yolks, and milk. Upon further investigation on our part, we found he was not allergic to milk. We took him to a children's allergist and they did the skin test. He was tested for the same things, plus we threw in peanuts (that was really nice to find out he wasn't allergic to peanuts). It came back with the same results. The doctor told us that many times, especially in young children, the tests will come back with false positives. Strange, but I'm pretty sure that's what happened with the milk results. Carter had a problem with eggs in anything: custard, cake, noodles, etc... But, the doctor said that some kids have problems with just the eggs themselves - or with milk for that matter. I would wait until 1 year for the egg whites. But you might experiment with the egg yolks. I was worried to test him with the eggs because I had heard that if you keep giving them something they are allergic to, they could all of a sudden have a big blow out reaction. That scared me, so I wanted the test done. Then, when we got the false positive on milk, I was confused. We just totally stayed away from eggs. The doctor told us to have him rechecked in 1 year. Well, that year has come and gone, and we haven't tested him again, but we are slowly introducing eggs again and he is doing wonderful. He hasn't had any type of reaction at all and he's had cookies, custard, noodles, and actual eggs cooked in fried rice. The doctor wouldn't tell me that he would grow out of it, but she said that many children do. I think it's more like MOST children outgrow their allergies. BUT, some don't. So, you just never know. I can only hope that you guys don't have to deal with it forever. But, also, an egg allergy isn't that terrible. I would ask for some information from your doctor. The allergist gave us a folder full of information and I'm not sure where I put it all. Some of the things that I remember having the most problems with are: pasta (MANY restuarants make their own pasta so you have to be careful about the eggs) - Fazoli's spaghetti is OKAY! cookies and cake (Chips Ahoy are okay and most animal crackers, I think. But vanilla wafers are not okay - I thought they would be) Pancakes, waffles, and all that yummy breakfast stuff Custard and some ice creams. All Baskin Robbins ice cream has eggs except strawberry and their soft serve stuff. I THINK that chicken nuggest at Arbys, Wendy's, and McDonalds are all okay. But some places have eggs in the batter. We basically had to ask about every single thing that we ordered from a restuarant. It was a pain, but I really stuck with it. Some people were like "uh.... I don't know!" Most of the time, they can go check on the packages that the food came in or go ask a chef in the back. I just let them know that my son is allergic to eggs and he could have a serious reaction if he ate anything. If they don't know and can't find out, then we stayed away from it. Good news - when you are cooking at home, there is something you can use instead. We have some stuff called "Egg Replacer" (it's a powder) - we have made many things with this and couldn't tell the difference. I wouldn't use it for something that called for a lot of eggs, like an omelet (can't imagine what that would taste like), but it's great for things that only call for a couple of eggs. Be very careful of any of those products that appear to be egg replacements like EGG BEATERS. These are almost ALL eggs. I think they are just slightly modified to get rid of the cholesterol in the eggs. I would just read the labels. Well, this might be way more info than you need, but I thought I'd get it all out so just in case you were interested, it's here for you (or others). OH - the allergist also prescribed us an epi-pen jr. for Carter just in case. We've never had to use it, but it's nice to have. You could ask your doctor about that. And - don't assume because you tell people that your child is allergic to eggs that they won't feed them something with eggs in it. Carter was fed cookies and cake at our church before. People just don't realize how many things eggs could be in. I always ask what the kids are having for snacks and many times, I just bring something with me in case he can't eat whatever they are serving. I also make sure they know what his reactions are so that if they see those hives around his mouth, they can wipe off his mouth and STOP giving him the food. Good luck!

July 8th, 2004, 11:41 PM	#8
harmonielyn Registered but not Subscribed Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Loo-ee-zee-anna Posts: 7,905	Wow Brandi! Im sorry you had to deal with all of that. Everything you said will be extremely helpful to us. I havent started Madison on any kind of egg yet. All of that info is great to have stored in your brain just in case.

July 8th, 2004, 11:53 PM	#9
AllyRae Registered but not Subscribed Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Newark, Ohio Posts: 999	One thing I'd look into is vaccines.... There are some vaccines (the flu, maybe...I can't remember which ones) that people with egg allergies can't get. I'd make sure you know which ones and have that knowledge when you go to the doctor the next time. I hope your little one's ok!

July 9th, 2004, 10:28 AM	#10
Brandi Registered but not Subscribed Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: They donate to your favorite charity! Posts: 6,197	Actually, Carter had the flu shot before we knew about his egg allergy and he was totally fine. When we went to get the next one, we were told that it would be fine, but we waited around just in case. I guess for some reason, even if they are allergic to eggs, they can still get the shot. Now, maybe for someone who is SERIOUSLY allergic to eggs, it might be a problem. But it wasn't at all for Carter and I've read that it shouldn't be a problem for most kids.

July 9th, 2004, 01:43 PM	#11
Lette Registered but not Subscribed Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: East Coast Posts: 10,333	Brandi... Thanks so much for posting all of that information!!! It truly is helpful! I myself was wondering what shot used eggs and for some reason I thought it was the Chicken Pox Vaccine. Wonder why?

July 10th, 2004, 12:44 AM	#12
Brandi Registered but not Subscribed Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: They donate to your favorite charity! Posts: 6,197	I think the chicken pox vaccine may have the egg component too. That sounds right to me. I'm pretty sure the flu shot does though too. There may have been another one too. I think it has to do more with the process in which the vaccines are created than actually containing eggs. It's like the process used in making root beer and also some wines use eggs - weird, huh? It's all the little things that you learn when you have to deal with this stuff. I'll have to see if I can find all that info and mail it to you. Let me see what I can dig up. I know we threw some of it away since it didn't have anything to do with our situation, but I'll see if we still have any of it around.