DD has egg allergy

[ajmom]

We took DD to an allergist today and she was diagnosed with an egg allergy. Now we're entering the world of reading labels, contacting manufacturers regarding products and carrying epi-pens everywhere we go. I know several moms on this board have children w/ severe allergies... any BTDT advice? Any favorite resources? TIA!!

[mickminmom]

Hi,

My DD was diagnosed at 1 yr with egg allergy(last year) Julie, ilovetivo, has helped me understand the whole allergy thing much better. There are some really helpful posts here that I found with the Search function.

Good luck with getting it all figured out! I was amazed at how many items contained either whole eggs or egg whites...never paid attention before...
Chris

[lilycat88]

We were doing dairy and soy for a while in addition to egg and by far, in our experience, egg is the easiest to deal with. It may seem daunting right now but you'll find your groove and figure it out. The label thing is sometimes hard. Unfortunately, not all food items have made the transition to the allergy labeling. Salad dressings are a pain...reading all of that gobbeldygook. A couple of specific comments:

1. Often, in the case of salad dressings (for a kid with a ranch salad dressing/carrot obsession), fat free = egg free. I know it's full of all sorts of artificial stuff but, at this point in my life, I'll take a kid eating raw carrots with artificial dressing than deny her the carrots.

2. Target does a really good job, in our experience, with labeling their private label stuff...Market Pantry. Actually, a lot of the store private label stuff is labeled much better than the Krafts or Nestle, for example.

3. A couple that have gotten us... Marshmallow cream has egg whites in it...marshmallows don't. Candy corn has egg whites in it.

4. Cherrybrook Kitchens (Farms? Something like that) has some pretty tasty egg free cookie recipes and they are available in mainstream grocery stores...Kroger...Target. You'll have to experiment with the egg replacer in your favorite recipes to see if it works. Brownies...not so good. Muffins, corn bread, etc. are ok.

5. Things you normally use an egg wash for the coating...like Chicken Tenders...you can use buttermilk and it works just as well.

It's second nature to us now and to DD (she's 3). She knows exactly what on her school menu she can't have and in more than one case, she has corrected a new student assistant when they tried to give her the usual instead of what I prepared and sent in with her. We are lucky in that DDs allergy isn't so severe that we have to avoid equipment where egg products were so I can't be of much help there.

Good luck. Hopefully, your DC will outgrow the allergy.

J

[hez]

Egg has been pretty easy to avoid. Once we found out about the allergy, I can count on one hand the number of reactions he's had. His reaction is fairly mild (rash where it touched his face, rash on his torso if it was a lot of egg, ends with vomiting & then he's totally fine)

His reactions that might help you:

* Graeter's ice cream. Custard based, before we knew.
* Homemade mac & cheese. The folks who made it said they read the box for the macaroni. That taught us to ask our friends to save the boxes if they were doing the cooking
* Fuddruckers cheeseburger. They painted the tops of the buns with egg whites to make them shiny! That one ticked me off, 'cause there's no need for it.

When we go out to eat, we avoid everything with a noodle or a pastry. We've asked the waiter a couple times to check on a menu item, and have now decided that we'd stick to pizza, burgers and grilled cheese if they're on the kids' menu. It's simpler (and faster!).

Generally speaking food labels have egg listed at the bottom of the ingredient list in bold, so reading labels has gotten much faster. We also found an egg replacer at Wild Oats (Ener-G Egg Replacer) that's been great for "Daddy's special pancakes" and things he knows he can only eat at home.

Oh, and now that he's older and the kids are actually eating the birthday cake (vs. playing with it), our friends have learned to bring a special egg-free treat just for DS (and I have learned to have a backup in my purse just in case). He knows cake has eggs, so he doesn't mind, but it still feels right to have something special for him if the rest are eating cake.

Good luck. As far as allergies go, I think we got the easy route.

ETA: DH and I realized last night that it's been at least a year or year & a half since DS had a reaction. I think the last one was the mac & cheese incident.

[LarsMal]

Welcome to the club!

DS has egg and dairy allergies. Egg is definitely easier to avoid, IMO.

If you can figure out the search function, search for posts from Julie (ilovetivo). She is the allergy guru!!!

In addition to your epi pen, carry some Benedryl with you. I haven't had to use the epi pen yet (knock on wood) but I have had to give DS Benedryl on more than one occassion.

[JBaxter]

My girlfriend does a gluten free, casin free , egg free and rice free diet for her boys she sent me this a while ago

Flu shots also contain egg products

http://www.spectrum-health.org/cs/Satellite?c=eHA_Content_C&cid=1160745038874&pagename=Spectrum_Health_Core%2FeHA_Content_C%2FSp ectrum_Generic_Detail_Page_Template


How to read a label for an egg-free diet:
Be sure to avoid foods that contain any of the following ingredients:

albumin
egg white
egg yolk
dried egg
egg powder
egg solids
egg substitutes
eggnog
globulin
livetin
lysozyme (used in Europe)
mayonnaise
meringue
ovalbumin
ovomucin
ovomucoid
ovovitellin
Simplesseâ„¢
Other possible sources of eggs or egg products:
A shiny glaze or yellow baked goods may indicate the presence of egg.
Simplesseâ„¢ is used as a fat substitute and is made from either egg or milk protein.
Egg white and shells may be used as clarifying agents in soup stocks, consommés, bouillons, and coffees.
Caution should be used if consuming these products.

Information for using egg substitutes:
For each egg, one of the following may be substituted in recipes:

1 tsp baking powder, 1 Tbsp water, 1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
1 Tbsp apricot puree
1 1/2 Tbsp water, 1 1/2 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp baking powder
1 packet gelatin, 2 Tbsp warm water (do not mix until ready to use)

[andie16]

My dd was diagnosed with an egg allergy at 15 months and is just over 4 now so we've been dealing with this for a while and it's really not bad once you get used to it. Fortunately, we have never had to use our Epi-Pen and have only needed Benadryl a handful of times.

If you like to bake I suggest Bakin' Without Eggs by Rosemarie Emro. Some of the recipes are definitely better than others, but I guess that's the case with most cookbooks. Also, vegan recipes are ok too-no dairy either in case you have a friend with dairy allergies. We have also used the Ener-G egg replacer that can be bought at Wild Oats or Whole Foods. I've just started experimenting with my old recipes and using other egg substitutes (like mentioned above). I usually keep a batch of cupcakes in the freezer so that if we go to a party or need something for a birthday at school it's already ready.

Things to watch out for...
-anything with mayonaise (this is something that other people won't think of). One time I forgot dd's lunch and I found out her teachers gave her a cheese sandwich with mayo. Fortunately, she chose not to eat it b/c she liked the whatever else they gave her better. You can buy a soy mayonaise called Nayonaise either at Whole Foods or at some regular grocery stores.

-meatloaf, meatballs-egg is used as a binder. At home, I just skip the egg and the meatloaf is fine. You can add extra ketchup or some baby food veggies if you want to try to keep things moister.

-mac and cheese-not only the noodles, but some people actually put egg into the recipe

I keep a bag of prepackaged snacks (e.g., indiv. size bags of Cheez-Its, goldfish, pretzels, etc.) at school just in case the snack that is offered is one she can't have. Also, some treats (fruit snacks, prepackaged rice krispy treat).

Also, check with your doctor to be sure whether or not you are to avoid things that have been processed in the same facility as eggs. This is what we had to do at first (along with tree nuts, peanuts, and fish) and this is much harder than avoiding anything with just eggs in the ingredients. A lot of pasta does not necessarily have egg in the noodles, but the facilities that make the pasta also process things with eggs.

Sorry this got so long. Good luck. Really, once you are used to it it's not so bad and dd is really a good sport about it.

[ajmom]

Thanks for all the great info so far!

At this point, we don't have to worry about foods that might be processed in plants where other foods that contain eggs are processed. She also had a slight reaction to milk, but the allergist said if she isn't having systemic reactions to milk, then it's OK for now. We do have to avoid introducing nuts until at least age 2.

There is a chance she'll outgrow it, It could certainly be worse! I appreciate all the helpful responses!

[lablover]

One tip that I learned is to make a batch of egg free cupcakes (I use the Cherrybrook Kitchen mix) and freeze them. Whenever DS has a birthday party or a party at preschool I just pull one out and after a little thawing time it's ready to go.

Also, make sure you read the label each time you buy something even if you have bought the same product before - the ingredients can change at any time. We made that mistake recently.

ETA: All of the allergists I've talked to told me to wait until 3 to introduce nuts to my DD since she is an allergic child. It's a mute point now since she just tested slightly positive to peanuts but that was what they told me when she was testing negative. Just thought I'd share since it was different from what you were told.

[michlyn]

DD has several allergies - she was allergic to soy but outgrew it this year (thankfully as soy is in practically everything). She is still allergic to egg (if I'm baking, I use Ener-G egg replacer)and milk, and we avoid other allergens to due family history. At school she does get special meals, and sometimes other kids bring in snacks for their birthdays like cupcakes but she can't eat those. I hate feeling like she's missing out so if I know that it's a special event coming up at her school I bake her something at home and send it to school with her. We eat a lot of the "enjoy life" brand of products b/c they are made in a dedicated allergen free (top 8)factory.

Good advice from pps - I also recommend checking out www.kidswithfoodallergies.org. A very good resource!

GL - food allergies can be daunting at first but with some good planning, it can be very manageable. I also think awareness is growing which helps.

[ilovetivo]

Hi - I'm here :) Thanks ladies for the nice words!

I'm sorry abt the egg allergy diagnosis! It is one of the easier ones to avoid i've found. DD outgrew egg at age 2.

Tinkayada (sp) pasta are egg free and very good. Rudi's Organic Bread too.

Yes, huge recommendation for www.kidswithfoodallergies.org

also, Bakin' Without Eggs as pp said.

Totally go with your instincts and ignore me if you want, but i have a few alarm bells going off (this is coming from caring, not criticism)...

What reactions has your dc had w/ egg? How was the diagnosis made? I'm more conservative, but I wonder/worry about you not needing to avoid cross contamination (you're not avoiding shared lines or shared facility?) .

I also worry about you not needing to avoid milk issue. What type of reactions have occurred? What testing?

Are you seeing a ped or a ped allergist?

The avoiding nuts until age 2 is another alarm. Most allergists will say age 3 or even 5 if there are other food allergies.

Good luck and i'll respond more. Hugs!!

Here's some of my threads that have lots of info:
The begininning of the 1st one is good for people in your life that don't get it, but there's a ton of FA info throughout the thread. The last one thread too is for those that don't get it.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=86&topic_id=51156

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=86&topic_id=51726

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=86&topic_id=51726

[ilovetivo]

Ajmom - Hugs!! Here's a couple of my threads - sorry i never saw your post, but you got great advice:

Food Allergies: Good Info For All, Even Ones That Don't Get It
http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin...d.php?t=283206

For Food Allergy reaction, here's what I have in my diaper bag medicine kit
http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin...d.php?t=283291

For sure go to www.kidswithfoodallergies.org

Make sure you have a Food Allergy Action Plan http://www.foodallergy.org/downloads/FAAP.pdf

[ilovetivo]

Oops! I didn't realize I already responded :)

[DrSally]

One tip that I learned is to make a batch of egg free cupcakes (I use the Cherrybrook Kitchen mix) and freeze them. Whenever DS has a birthday party or a party at preschool I just pull one out and after a little thawing time it's ready to go.

Also, make sure you read the label each time you buy something even if you have bought the same product before - the ingredients can change at any time. We made that mistake recently.

ETA: All of the allergists I've talked to told me to wait until 3 to introduce nuts to my DD since she is an allergic child. It's a mute point now since she just tested slightly positive to peanuts but that was what they told me when she was testing negative. Just thought I'd share since it was different from what you were told.

I do that too! Make applesauce cupcakes and freeze for parties so I always have something to bring. The recipie is floating around here. I was also thinking the same thing about nuts/peanuts--3 was the age we were told if there are any other allergies. I agree with pp's that eggs are easier to avoid than dairy. Now that DS can have milk, I gave him some deli potpie, which was very well labelled. It said it didn't have egg, but it must have had an egg-wash on the crust, b/c he had a little break out. I'd watch out for all comercial bakery products, as a lot have egg wash. FYI: our allergist told us that eggs take somewhat longer to outgrow than milk.