Milk and Egg #Allergy – Can My Kid Eat Cake?!

Milk and Egg Allergies – Can My Kid Eat Cake?!     
By Dr. Meng Chen, MD

Food allergies are on the rise, especially in children.  Cow’s milk and hen’s egg allergies are common culprits in young children.  The good news is that studies have shown that about two-thirds of children who are allergic to cow’s milk and hen’s egg can actually eat them when they are cooked into a baked good, such as muffins and cakes!  In fact, eating these goods on a regular basis may help speed up resolution of the allergy.  Plus, it can significantly improve your family’s quality of life and expand dietary options. 

How do I find out if my child can eat baked goods?

• Come into GramercyAllergy  for a thorough evaluation.  GramercyAllergy  will go over your child’s history of reactions to milk and egg and determine what testing is most appropriate.
• Testing can include skin testing and bloodwork to help determine whether your child will likely be able to eat baked goods.
• If the testing indicates there is a good chance that your child can eat baked egg or milk, GramercyAllergy will recommend an in-office oral food challenge.  During an oral food challenge, we feed your child a baked good in graded doses under careful monitoring and observation.
• If your child passes, we will send you home with instructions on how to incorporate baked goods into the diet! 
• GramercyAllergy recommend coming into the office for a full evaluation rather than trying baked goods at home as serious reactions can occur.

Tips if your child can already eat baked goods

• -Eat baked goods at least three times a week
• -Make sure the products are cooked all the way through!  Undercooked batter can trigger reactions
• -It is important to avoid other forms of milk and/or egg that are not mixed with batter and heated extensively.  For example, watch out for frosting!
• -Follow up at GramercyAllergy so we can monitor your child’s food allergies over time.  There is a good chance that your child will outgrow milk and egg allergies.  Regular follow up helps us provide guidance on when it might be appropriate to test if they have outgrown their allergies!

Does your child have a milk or egg allergy?  Need more specific help?  Please call GramercyAllergy  or click here to schedule an appointment to determine if your child might be able to consume baked goods!

You can follow us on facebook and @gramercyallergy for more specific advice.