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Egg Allergy Prevalence Before and After Guidelines for Earlier Egg Introduction
Jennifer J Koplin1,2, Desalegn Markos Shifti1,2, Victoria X Soriano3,4
1Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Australia.
JAMA Pediatrics
|June 8, 2026
Summary
Updated infant feeding guidelines recommending earlier egg introduction reduced the prevalence of egg allergy in infants. This change in guidelines led to a significant decrease in infant egg allergy rates, particularly in those with early eczema.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
- Public Health Nutrition
- Evidence-Based Medicine
Background:
- Egg allergy is a common infant food allergy.
- Global guidelines now recommend earlier egg introduction to prevent allergy.
- The impact of these guideline changes on egg allergy prevalence was previously unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the population prevalence of egg allergy after updated guidelines recommended earlier infant egg introduction.
- To assess the association between guideline changes and egg allergy prevalence.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of infants aged 11-15 months in Melbourne, Australia (2007-2011 vs. 2018-2019).
- Direct regression standardization adjusted for risk factors to isolate guideline impact.
- Skin prick tests and oral food challenges confirmed egg allergy.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of egg allergy decreased from 9.2% to 7.6% after guideline updates.
- Earlier egg introduction (median age decreased from 8 to 6 months) correlated with this decrease.
- In infants with early eczema, egg allergy prevalence dropped significantly from 34.6% to 21.9%.
Conclusions:
- Updated infant feeding guidelines promoting earlier egg introduction are associated with reduced population prevalence of egg allergy.
- Effective implementation of guideline changes informed by research can lower food allergy rates.
- This study provides population-level evidence supporting early egg introduction for allergy prevention.
