If your baby has a slight allergic reaction to eggs, try giving them egg in the form of a muffin that has been baked in the oven for a long time. This is a tip given by child allergist Emma Adlercreutz. Now little Tage can report that it really works. Yay! Hence why today we’ll be sharing blueberry muffins that you can bake this weekend!

The number of children who develop food allergies is ever increasing. But now there is hope for a turn-a-round! Emma describes that research indicates that allergies can be prevented if the children get consume small amounts of the offending foods. What seems to cause allergies is when small residues of food enter the body via eczema spots (dry and irritated skin), or when applying ointments and creams on eczema which can contain for example, peanut oil (which can be found in various ointments).

In an interview with child allergist Emma Adlercreutz gives a number of tips, based on the latest research, on what new parents can do to prevent allergies. One of the tricks given works for eggs. If the child responds to scrambled eggs, you should instead give eggs in the form of a muffin one which has been baked slightly longer in the oven.

This tip has now worked for Tage. This is what his mother Therese wrote to me:

Our baby reacts to eggs, what should we do?

My answer:

Hey! I am a journalist and cannot give any private recommendations, but contact a pediatric allergy doctor. Emma Adlercreutz, whom we have interviewed, believes that one should continue to give eggs, but in small doses and in a form that is properly baked. Like muffins for example. In scrambled eggs, there are often some fresh egg left, and this is what can cause the greatest allergic reaction. If the baby can handle eggs in a muffin, continue to give it. Then there are studies that show this can prevent the allergy from fully developing, according to Emma.

Therese made muffins!

Therese has since then written to me again. Here’s what she wrote: “I have tested egg muffins a couple of times now and it works great, no reaction.”

Here’s the simple muffin recipe that helped Tage:

1 banana
3 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼  cup of preferred flour 
½ cup of blueberries

Mash the banana and then whisk the eggs, flour and cinnamon into the banana. Put blueberries in muffin molds and then pour the batter over. Bake at 175C/350F in the middle of the oven for about 15-20 minutes.

Now Tage can also eat boiled eggs with a reaction

After eating these muffins several times for a few weeks now Tage has also been able to test boiled eggs, which has gone well. The next step – in one or two months – is to give him scrambled eggs again to see if the allergy is completely gone.

The great thing about this concept is that if children at risk of egg allergy get used to eating eggs in this form, they seem to have a very high chance of being able to tolerate eggs of all kinds in the future. But keep an eye on your child! Only take small amounts when testing something that they may be allergic to and seek support from allergy doctors if it seems to be getting worse.

Thank you Therese and Tage for sharing! 

Addition: here is a link to the scientific study which shows that the risk of egg allergy can be reduced if the children eat baked eggs. The study also treated children’s eczema.

This is a guest post. The opinions expressed are the writer’s own.