Infants and Eggs

Q. Can I give my 11-month-old scrambled eggs? Julie, Fleetwood, PA

A. Sure, unless your baby has an egg allergy.

Because of the perceived risk of food allergies from eating egg whites, most experts once recommended not giving whole eggs to children under twelve months of age. However, it was usually considered to be okay to just give them just egg yolks, once they were 7-10 months old.

That advice has changed greatly now, as it didn't really prevent food allergies from developing in kids.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, in their latest recommendations, now state that infants can "begin consuming foods in addition to breastmilk or formula after 4 months of age, preferably at 6 months of age."

They also state that "Although solid foods should not be introduced before 4 to 6 months of age, there is no current convincing evidence that delaying their introduction beyond this period has a significant protective effect on the development of atopic disease," including eczema, asthma, hay fever, and food allergies.

It still surprises some parents, but except for not giving honey to infants under 12 months of age and avoiding choke foods, there aren't any recommendations to avoid allergy foods anymore.

So yes, you can feed your 11-month-old scrambled eggs and you can even use the egg yolks (and some formula, cheese, and butter of course).

And because of the risk of food poisoning from Salmonella, be sure to cook the eggs thoroughly.

You don't necessarily have to be in a big rush to give eggs and egg yolks, though. According to the AAP, 'though in the past egg yolks were recommended as a good source of iron, the iron they contain is not easily absorbed. Iron-fortified cereals and meat are the best sources of iron for your infant.'

On the other hand, in addition to iron, egg yolks can be a good source of DHA, an important component of breast milk, which is now being added to infant formulas and baby food to try and promote a baby's growth and brain development.

Eggs are also a good source of protein and many vitamins and minerals.