Government report advises introducing eggs during weaning
The advice comes from The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition’s (SACN) recently published ‘Feeding in the first year of life.’
Based on the latest nutrition science, the report also claims that excluding eggs from children’s diets after 12 months of age ‘may increase’ the risk of allergy. It adds: “Once initial exposure has occurred it should be maintained to avoid further risk of allergy.”
The news comes as 12% of mothers said they avoided giving their infants (8-10 months) eggs, and 73% give them less than once a week.
Registered nutritionist Dr Juliet Gray commented: “The report is very welcome. It clarifies that eggs need not be avoided and their introduction should not be delayed, and we know from previous research that many mothers delay egg introduction during weaning.
“Eggs are a nutritious food that contain many key nutrients, including high quality protein, vitamin D, selenium, iodine, choline, and omega-3 fatty acids - nutrients that are particularly important for babies.
“Together, these nutritional benefits and our increasing knowledge about the appropriate timing of introduction of potentially allergenic foods underline the importance of offering eggs to babies early in the weaning process.”