It has been 7 years since a review of studies was carried out to find out what foods had to be offered first to the babies, which ones later and with what foods one had to wait longer, and the results surprised everyone, when concluding that there was no evidence that show that no food was better than another at the beginning and that, in reality, from six months on, virtually any food could be given.
To this research have been added others that have shown that what was expected of up to 12 months or more to offer the most allergenic foods is not only not better, but worse. Therefore, although many people still think that it is crazy and that until the year you can not, Children can start eating eggs at 6 months.
Why is it worse to give food later?
Because more and more research is showing that when they start offering the most allergenic foods after six months the risk of the child suffering from allergy to these foods is lower. Thus, the egg is one of those potentially allergenic foods that if offered before will produce less allergies than if we wait for 12 months or more.
In Babies and more23 prohibited foods for babies and children according to their ageThe last guide of complementary feeding of the Generalitat de Catalunya, with the most recent evidence, makes it clear, as you see in this table and you can read inside:
What if the child is at risk of allergies?
A child who already suffers from a food allergy, or whose parents are allergic to any food (whatever it is, which does not need to be the egg), is considered to have a higher risk of suffering from a food allergy than other children. In this case, the recommendation is the same, but with nuances: it is recommended give the egg after six months, but repeating several days.
As we explained a month ago, when a child has a higher risk of allergy, it is better than food is offered for five days, without offering any other new food at that time, to be clear that an allergic reaction does not occur.
In addition, it is advised that the egg is very well boiled (that the yolk is hard) and that the yolk be separated from the egg. It is clear that part of the white can remain in the yolk even separating them, but it will always be safer to offer less of the white at the beginning, which is considered more allergenic than the yolk.
In Babies and more Baby-led weaning: everything you need to know explained by expertsSo what would be done is to offer the yolk those five days and, if nothing has happened, go to the egg white, or try another food in between (no need to do "ten days of the egg"). This is done because if you are allergic, the first day you may have an allergic reaction (especially in breastfed babies, who may have already received the food through the milk), but it often happens in the following exposures to the food .
In fact, there are professionals who recommend that, if the chances of allergy are high, the first day is not given to eat, but the egg is rubbed by the perioral zone (on the lips and around), because sometimes only with that there is already a reaction in the skin, and so there is no need to take more risks.
In Babies and more Early exposure to allergen food, key to the cure of food allergiesIf the child is not at risk of allergy
In the event that the child is not allergic to any food and their parents do not have food allergies, it is enough to do the test for three days and move on to the next food, which if not very allergenic (the next food), can be given during one or two days before moving on to the next.
