“Can early introduction of egg prevent egg allergy in infants? A population-based study”

Early introduction of egg might protect against egg allergy. Until recently, international guidelines for infants from allergic families recommended delaying the introduction of allergenic foods, including egg and peanut, to prevent the development of allergies. Koplin et al, as reported in this issue of the JACI, studied more than 2500 infants recruited from the general population to assess whether timing of infant feeding milestones were associated with increased or decreased risk of egg allergy. The authors found that infants who introduced egg after 12 months of age were 3 times more likely to have challenge-proven egg allergy at 14-18 months of age than those who were introduced to egg at 4-6 months of age. This association occurred irrespectively of whether there was a personal history of eczema or family history of allergy. In particular, ingestion of cooked egg at 4-6 months demonstrated a more protective effect than first ingestion with egg in baked goods at this time. There was no association between duration of breast-feeding or timing of introduction of first solids and egg allergy. This study suggests that introduction of cooked egg at 4-6 months of age does not increase the risk of egg allergy and might even be protective against its development.

“Can early introduction of egg prevent egg allergy in infants? A population-based study” JACI October 2010 / Volume 126, No. 4