When Can I Give Eggs to My Baby?

Q: When is it safe to start giving eggs to my baby?

A: It’s best to start early in exposing most healthy babies under age one to potentially allergenic foods like eggs. There’s no evidence that waiting until children are older has any benefits. In fact, introducing potentially allergenic foods like egg early and often may help prevent the development of food allergies.

Work with your child’s doctor and ask about trying eggs in a baby-safe (soft) form from an early age, around the time that you introduce other complementary foods. Healthy infants without eczema, other food allergies or risk factors may generally start eating eggs after tolerating a few other solid foods first.

For parents of infants with moderate to severe eczema, existing food allergies, or a strong family history of food allergy, it’s especially important to consult with your pediatrician. In most cases, these infants should be exposed to allergenic foods early (usually between 4 to 6 months of age), but they may require evaluation by an allergist in advance or they may need to try their first bites in the doctor’s office.

— Pediatrician Kimberly Churbock, MD