Introducing Egg

First serve

A fully cooked egg — hard-boiled and mashed to a smooth paste with a little breast milk, formula, or water, or firmly set scrambled egg mashed into a familiar puree.

Build up like this:

Day 1: a small taste (about ¼ teaspoon of mashed cooked egg) mixed into a familiar food, early in the day; watch for 2 hours.
If no reaction, repeat with a slightly larger amount over the next several days.
Build to a regular serving of roughly half an egg, then a whole egg as appetite allows.

Then keep it going: Once tolerated, keep well-cooked egg on the menu about twice a week — regular exposure helps the immune system stay comfortable with it.

What a reaction can look like

• Hives or raised welts on the face or body
• Redness around the mouth soon after eating
• Vomiting within about 2 hours
• Swelling of the lips, face, or eyes
• Coughing or wheezing — treat as an emergency

Trouble breathing, tongue or lip swelling, widespread hives with vomiting, or a pale, floppy baby means call 911 now. See the emergency guide.

Good to know

• Fully cooked only: whites and yolks should be firmly set. No runny yolks, soft-set eggs, or raw batter — undercooked egg carries both a higher allergenic load and a food-poisoning risk for infants.
• Serve every new allergen early in the day so you can observe for the next 2 hours, and introduce one new allergen at a time with about 3 days before the next one.

Foods that deliver it

Egg →