Children Tend To Outgrow Egg Allergies Say Researchers

Each year millions of American suffer from allergic reactions to food and there is no cure for such food allergies. One such allergy is the egg allergy that is more common in young children than adults.

A new research may come as a pleasant surprise for parents of children with egg allergies. The study reveals that nearly 56 percent of the allergic children can tolerate baked eggs while 55 percent outgrow their egg allergy entirely. Indicating children with egg allergy can now relish bread and cookies.

"More than half of egg allergic children can tolerate hen's eggs when they are baked at 350 degrees in products such as cakes and breads," said allergist Rushani Saltzman, M.D., lead study author and ACAAI member. "Dietary introduction of baked egg by an allergist can broaden a child's diet, improve quality of life and likely accelerate the development of an egg tolerance."

According to HealthDay, the investigators suggest that parents who incorporate baked goodies with eggs into their child's diet may actually help them develop a broader tolerance to eggs than by avoiding eggs altogether.

The median dose tolerated was 2⁄5 baked hen's egg. The products tested were all baked at 350 degrees for a minimum of 30 minutes.

A separate study done by Ruchi Gupta, M.D., lead study author and pediatrician, revealed thatout of the eight common food allergens, children most commonly outgrew egg allergy.

"Food tolerance was observed in one in four children, with 55 percent outgrowing their egg allergy by age seven," said Dr. Gupta. "Developing an egg tolerance is the most common for children, followed by milk. A small proportion outgrew shellfish and tree nut allergies."

Symptoms of allergies include, rapid swelling of the skin and tissue, difficulty in breathing and life-threatening anaphylaxis.

"While these studies show many positive findings for children with egg allergy, parents must practice caution," said allergist Richard Weber, M.D., ACAAI president-elect. "Introducing an allergen back into a child's diet can have severe consequences, and only should be done under the care of a board-certified allergist."

According to a 2011 research by Gupta, food allergy is a serious and growing health problem. An estimated 5.9 million children under age 18, or one out of every 13 children, now have a potentially life-threatening food allergy.

This study was presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting.