"Mild Hypersensitivity to Egg Whites"

my daughter is allergic to egg whites. She is 6 years old and we just recently found out. She was at a level 2 (which is not very high), but we have tested the allergy at home (with dr's approval) and anytime she has any eggs like scrambled or boiled or even cookie dough (raw eggs) she will break out in horrible hives all over her chest and back. She will also sometimes even have swelling in her face. BUT if she eats a cookie or any baked goods, she is fine. No reaction at all. So, even though the dr. said it's so low he wouldn't even call it an official allergy, I know her best and if it was so low, then why does she have such a bad reaction like she does, yk? So, for her at least, baked goods are good to go but any other type we stay far away from. My daughter is almost 7 so I kind of doubt she will grow out of this

Allergies tend to have a lot of variation from child to child. Some experience milder symptoms like eczema, some may develop hives, others have stomach issues while still others may have an anaphylactic reaction. In some children, each subsequent exposure results in a more severe reaction than they had the time before, so you really need to be careful each time you offer the food.

How old is your son?

You can probably test him again in 6-12 months and look for improvement in the allergy. If it's less than it used to be, you can probably introduce items with eggs baked into them and build his tolerance before feeding him an actual egg.

Also, baking eggs in things like cakes, cookies, brownies etc denatures the protein that actually causes the allergy. This is why many kids with egg allergies can tolerate baked goods but can't eat straight eggs. So, it IS possible that your son can eat baked goods without a problem but can't have actual eggs (scrambled, boiled, etc). However, if he does have bad eczema, then eliminating ALL eggs, including those that are baked, is probably the right move for now.

Anyway, if I was in your shoes, I would eliminate 100% of eggs now and get retested in 6-12 months to check for improvement. I wouldn't just try eggs on your own without discussing with the doctor first. And always have Benadryl on hand - you never know when there will be an accidental exposure.

Hi McK5 ~
My daughter actually is anaphylactic to eggs and we practice strict avoidance. If the nurse says no eggs I would definitely stick w/that & I only say that because the idea is if you keep exposing your son to eggs eventually his body will reach what it considers tolerable & your son may experience a more severe reaction. Was he tested by his pediatrician or by his allergist? If by the pediatrican I would ask for a referral to an allergist.

My oldest daughter had egg allergies. We didn't find out until her 1st birthday when she ate cake and then her face swelled up and got all blotchy. I am not big on sweets but that first year I tried to avoid them as much as possible and then kept Benadryl on hand for the other times that we missed something. As she got older it has gotten better, at 4 she was able to eat eggs with no problems. I would say depending on how bad his allergies are I would try to steer clear. If you want cookies, we became dependent on vanilla wafers and they went everywhere with us.

Egg allergies are fairly common and kids most usually outgrow them by 5 yrs old.
In the mean time - yes, you have to avoid eggs and anything that has eggs in them.
If you are breast feeding, you have to avoid eggs, too because he'll then get a reaction to your breast milk..
(I just love that term 'mild hypersensitivity' - it's the same as 'mildly extremely sensitive'.)
Repeated exposure to eggs right now means his response could get worse and you don't want to risk that a worse allergic reaction than eczema might develop.

http://www.healthcareveda.com/post/Egg-White-Allergy.aspx

Call them back and ask about whether the usual 12 month vaccines are safe for him - many of them are grown in egg.

My daughter was tested for egg allergies when she was around 1 and was diagnosed with a mild allergy also. She never had problems with eggs cooked in something, but would break out in hives with just straight eggs. She is 9 now and doesn't seem to have any problems although she doesn't like the smell of eggs and refuses to even try them since she wasn't allowed to have them when she was little.

There are some liquid egg substitutes that work beautifully for those with egg allergies.

Also although I won't recommend it or use it---there are powdered egg substitutes available also. Lastly whipped tofu can be used as an egg in many baked treats--including some cookies!