Egg

No. Egg presents a low risk when safely prepared for a child’s age and developmental ability, though, in theory, an individual could choke on any food. To reduce the risk, prepare and serve eggs in an age-appropriate way as described in the How to Serve section. Eggs can stick to the tongue or roof of the mouth and cause a fair amount of gagging, so try offering a small amount of breast milk, formula, or water in an open cup to help baby wash any pieces of food down. As always, make sure you create a safe eating environment and stay within an arm’s reach of baby during meals. 

Learn the signs of choking and gagging and more about choking first aid in our free guides, Infant Rescue and Toddler Rescue.

Yes, eggs are classified as a Global Priority Allergen by the World Health Organization. Egg allergies are among the most common food allergies in babies, with an estimated 2% of children allergic to eggs. The good news is that 70% of kids will outgrow their egg allergy before reaching adulthood. More good news: nearly two-thirds of egg-allergic children can tolerate baked egg.

While the conventional wisdom was to wait on introducing eggs until around 2 years of age, there is now evidence that early and sustained exposure to well-cooked eggs in infancy can help prevent egg allergy from developing. Why well-cooked? One of the major allergenic proteins in egg, ovalbumin, is heat-sensitive. When baked, boiled, steamed, or fully scrambled, almost all of the ovalbumin protein breaks down, leaving the egg less likely to trigger an allergic reaction (even in babies who might react to lightly-cooked egg, such as a soft-scrambled or runny egg). 

A family history of food allergy is not typically a reason to defer egg introduction. However, if baby has severe eczema or another pre-existing food allergy, they may be at an increased risk of egg allergy. If this applies to baby, reach out to your doctor before introducing egg, as they may suggest allergy testing and/or supervised egg introduction in the allergist’s office. If you believe baby may be allergic to egg, make an appointment with a pediatric allergist. Many children with egg allergy can tolerate baked egg, and your allergist can help you determine if this would be an option for baby.

When introducing eggs to baby for the first time, start with a small portion of well-cooked egg and watch carefully for signs of allergy or sensitivity after the first bite. If no symptoms develop after 5 to 10 minutes, offer the remainder of the egg at baby’s usual feeding pace. In order to maintain tolerance to egg, allergists recommend maintaining egg in the diet regularly once it is introduced and an allergy is ruled out. 

Despite most children with egg allergy being able to tolerate baked egg, some babies can have severe reactions to even the smallest amount of egg. Allergic reactions can range in severity from mild symptoms to a severe body-wide reaction termed anaphylaxis. Make sure you know how to identify the symptoms of an allergic reaction before introducing egg.

In addition to being a common cause of IgE-mediated food allergy, eggs are also a known trigger of food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome, also known as FPIES. FPIES is a delayed allergy to food protein which causes the sudden onset of repetitive vomiting and diarrhea to begin a few hours after ingestion. Left untreated, the reaction can result in significant dehydration. Thankfully, FPIES that presents early in life is generally outgrown by the time the child has reached 3-5 years of age.

Yes. Eggs are an excellent source of protein and fat, including DHA, a type of omega 3 fatty acid. They are also rich in choline, iodine, iron, selenium, zinc, and folate, in addition to vitamins A, B12, and D. Plus, they contain the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which help to support vision. Together, these nutrients support growth, development, brain health, red blood cell functioning, immunity, taste perception, metabolic process, bone density, and many other functions.

To minimize the risk of foodborne illness, avoid serving undercooked eggs to babies and young children and consider:

This is a personal decision for which you must calculate risk, as there is no defined age at which runny or raw eggs become definitively safe. Children under 5 years of age are among those at highest risk of severe food poisoning from Salmonella.

In addition, lightly cooked or runny eggs (soft-scrambled, over easy, sunny side up) can pose an increased risk of allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. When not well-cooked, heat-sensitive protein allergens in egg may not fully break down. Even if baby already tolerates a well-cooked egg (baked, hard-boiled, steamed, or fully scrambled), introduce lightly-cooked or runny egg gradually if you choose to offer it.

Yes, it is fine for children to eat eggs daily. Eggs are nutritious and versatile and are typically affordable and accessible as well. In some cases, repeatedly eating eggs prepared in the same way daily may lead to a child tiring of the food and potentially rejecting the food down the line. To help avoid taste fatigue, try offering eggs in a variety of forms and, as always, offer a diverse diet to ensure balanced nutrition and a healthy relationship with food.

Concerned about baby’s cholesterol intake? Recent research has shown that dietary cholesterol does not appear to contribute to cardiovascular risk but rather supports the human body in many ways.

Yes, though hard-boiled eggs present more of a choking hazard as the dry, chalky yolk can be challenging for young babies to move around in the mouth. While you can certainly offer quartered or sliced hard-boiled egg to babies 9 months and up (who are more able to pick up small pieces of food), other preparations like omelets and scrambled eggs fully integrate the yolk and white, making it more likely for babies to get the nutritious yolk into their bellies. If you do decide to offer hard-boiled eggs before 9 months of age, try smashing them into an egg salad with a little water, breast milk, formula, or yogurt to integrate the yolk more fully.

There are lots of ingredients that serve as excellent egg substitutes in foods to share with baby, including applesauce, flaxseed egg, and yogurt. Which substitution you choose depends on what type of dish you want to make. Learn more about egg substitutes for babies.