EGG ALLERGY OVERVIEW

Egg Allergies are one of the most common food allergies that are seen in infants and children.  Babies may first be suspected to have an egg allergy because of severe eczema with exposure to egg often through the breast milk.  It may also be diagnosed after a child develops hives or a more severe allergic reaction after eating a scrambled egg or a cookie containing egg.  Fortunately, egg allergies are often outgrown over time so is less commonly seen in adults.  The diagnosis of a food  allergy can be simply confirmed with an blood test (Allergy Specific IgE test, commonly known as a immunocap RAST test) or a skin prick test.  These types of test can also be helpful in determining when the egg allergy may be outgrown.

If you or a family member is diagnosed with an egg allergy, it is important to know which foods to avoid. There can be some unexpected sources of egg in foods and other products in your home.  For example egg may be hidden as a glaze on your bread, in some pastas, or even in egg substitutes!  Egg can also be in pet foods, nutritional supplements, and in some paints.  To help avoid accidental exposure, learning to how to read labels for an egg-free diet is an essential skill.

There are also frequent questions about which immunizations contains egg – the most common and relevant vaccine that contains egg is the yearly influenza vaccine, also known as the flu shot.

The resources listed on this page have egg allergy information to answer frequently asked questions about egg allergies, foods to avoid, safe egg substitutes, and egg content in vaccines.